Initial Offensive
by The-Xenocide
Summary: Ino had already made the first move. She had the advantage. [True]Sequel to 'The Art of Unspoken Words'.
1. Chapter 1: Frontal Assualt

_**Initial Offensive  
**_**A Xenocide Production**

**AN: Here is the only, true, and final sequel to **_**The Art of Unspoken Words**_**. Weep in ecstasy, and then go and thank ****Dark Hope Assassin**** who spurred me on to write this fic. **

**Summary: **Ino had already made the first move. She had the advantage.

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. I do, however, have plans to kidnap Kishimoto-sensei, drug him with Dr. Pepper, and force him to do an ecchi laden Naruto harem manga. I know that deep, deep, deep down, he wants to do it. Despite that little thing he calls a conscience. **

**----------------------------------------------------**

Uzumaki Naruto was bored.

Bad things happen when his name and the word 'bored' pop up in the same sentence. Things that belong in a disaster category all by themselves, right above Natural Disasters, but just ever so slightly below the Apocalypse.

He had been stuck in this damnable hospital bed for nearly a week now, and his mind was about to snap for lack of stimulation.

So what if he had overdone it a bit in training? How else was he going to get stronger if he didn't push himself to the very limits?

Kaka-sensei had merely shaken his head and sighed exasperatedly when he found his wayward student collapsed against a tree trunk in training ground number three. Sakura had shrieked, grumbled, and nagged him nonstop when he was forcibly restrained to his bed that first night. The old pervert had merely taken advantage of the blonde's plight to 'borrow' Gama-chan from him. It was his due as the brat's teacher, right?

Sakura-chan had informed him in a no-nonsense tone of voice that he would be spending a week in the hospital. He had dangerously depleted his chakra reserves, or didn't he know? If he wasn't more careful, he could permanently burn out his chakra coils, not that he thought about those things at all, she had sniffed imperiously.

When he folded his arms across his chest and whined that a week was far too long and who the hell cared if he burnt himself out as long as he got stronger, a strange look had passed over his teammate's face. He had found himself the recipient of a pleading stare and a small caress of his blonde hair as she murmured that she would care because he still had a promise to keep.

Jade eyes and a soft touch had shorted out his higher brain functions, so he could only nod dumbly and say something in a jumble of words that he was sure made him sound an idiot.

There was no room in his mind for silky blonde hair or cornflower blue eyes.

He was rewarded with a glowing smile that damn near stopped his heart and she had somehow extracted a promise from him that he would stay and rest, and to behave for her during his stay.

Then, after checking his vitals one last time, (he could have sworn that her fingers had lingered here and there) she had swept out of his room to complete the rest of her rounds.

He had sighed mournfully and tried his best to keep himself occupied, if only for her sake.

He had tried so hard that it really wasn't funny at all.

He finally gave in to his urges and decided to play one small joke, just to tide him over till his release the day after tomorrow. Was it his fault that the on duty nurse couldn't take a joke? The 'severed hand' joke was older than dirt, and how was he to know that the girl had such a weak stomach? In hindsight, he admitted that he shouldn't have tried to improve on a classic with a severed limb instead of a simple appendage. The bloodcurdling screams and fake blood gushing all over the bed and floor probably didn't help matters much.

It came as no surprise at all when she absolutely refused to treat the boy for the rest of his (un)natural life. He didn't understand why she took a little joke so badly, but it was certainly pounded into him later that day by the Old Hag, who was _very_ emphatic that he keep his jokes to himself on pain of castration.

He didn't know what exactly castration was, for he was never one to comfortably use big words, much less discern the meanings behind them, but the snipping motion she made coupled with the look of near demonic glee on her face was more than enough to give his subconscious a vague idea that it would be a wise idea agree wholeheartedly and cross his legs whenever he was in the Godaime's presence from that moment on.

He even politely addressed her as Hokage-sama as she stomped angrily from his room, Shizune, struggling to hold in uproarious laughter while juggling various medical charts, not far behind.

He laid back in his bed, which was raised up in a semi-reclining position, hands clasped lazily behind his head. He idly contemplated the whitewashed ceiling as his thoughts turned on his freedom tomorrow.

"No more stuffy nurses!" He snickered happily.

A bird trilled raucously and he turned his head just in time to see a small feathered shape dart across his widow. He smiled brightly at the thought that he would be just as free in less than twenty four hours.

His smile faded when his gaze was caught by two flowers that Sakura had placed in his room. Every day, when she came in to check his chart and assure herself that he was indeed staying out of trouble, she would always bring two small flowers and replace the previous day's flowers with them in the vase. She would flash him another one of those shy smiles that would throw thoughts completely out of joint, and then disappear from his room before he could say a word.

He was ecstatic that Sakura-chan was finally paying him some attention, even if he wasn't sure exactly what kind of attention it was. He tried not to read too much into the strange way she had been acting this last month or so, but it was hard to keep himself from hoping.

And then there was Ino.

He frown deepened to what could be termed a scowl, very unusual for the young man at the least.

What was up with that girl anyway?

After their connection in the bar and what could loosely be called a 'date', he thought that perhaps he might have finally found someone to relate to. Though she was quite understandably confused and upset at the treatment he had received at the hands of a few disgruntled waiters, she still stayed at his side. She asked no questions nor demanded any answers, only opened her arms and let him weep like he had never been able, or allowed, to before.

He rolled on his side with a sigh, hiding his hands underneath his pillow.

Would it have killed her to visit him at least once while he was in this…this…prison!?! But no, there was not one word or hint from the girl, not since he had stopped by the flower shop the day after their date for a smile, a smoldering kiss, and wandering hands in her father's greenhouse.

Had she suddenly decided that he wasn't worth her time? Or perhaps it had all been a cruel joke? He liked to think of all of the Rookie Nine as his friends, but there was something deep inside of him that still didn't quite trust anybody but himself.

But those were thoughts best left untouched. Instead, he drifted his attention towards a safer topic.

Yamanka Ino. She had the kind of feral beauty you would find at the tip of a kunai, she possessed a kind of inner grace that made her hips sway with confidence, and kami, was she was beautiful! What made it all the worse was that she knew it, too. When she walked down the street, she would deliberately sashay her body in a way that made many men and even a few women eye her hungrily.

It was rumored that she was more experienced than most girls her age, but those who knew her well dismissed them out of hand. Ino wasn't like that. She may have been a tease and was not averse to flaunting her body, but she wasn't as loose as a few of the more vicious gossips painted her as.

Although, she had to know _something_, if their last two meetings were any indication.

His cheeks flared crimson as he recalled just exactly how appreciative his body was of her skills. If she had pressed herself any harder against him, or if he had driven her up against her door as he had so longed to do the night of their date, there was no doubt that she would have been excruciatingly aware of his body's reaction to her advances.

He wasn't altogether sure if she wasn't already aware of it. She had winked and given him a knowing grin as he helped her rearrange the disturbed pots and seedlings in the greenhouse after a rather….exploratory session on the potting bench.

Yes, the girl was a vixen, but he wasn't just attracted to her because of her body's seductive wiles. Though it certainly helped. There was just………..something about her. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He had wracked his brains trying to figure the girl out, but it was near impossible. Trying to pinpoint what made Ino, Ino was like trying to describe to a blind man why the sky was blue or explain to a deaf man what birdsong sounded like.

To be perfectly honest however, he hadn't really paid all that attention to another girl besides his teammate until that afternoon that he bumped into her at the bar. He only knew Ino vaguely, sparse facts gleaned from the few missions that they had been partnered on and from the complaints that came from a lazy Nara and a jovial Akimichi.

But somehow, despite the lack of kinship he felt with her, he had instantly been overcome with the need to help this girl, even if it was at the expense of his own dignity or happiness. Truth be told, it was almost as if he were _compelled_ to sidle up to the girl's side. The aura of despair and her downtrodden appearance was more than enough to snap him out of the grip of whatever memories that had driven him to drink in the first place. He could never stand to see a girl cry.

Ever since he first opened his mouth, it seemed as if he was caught up in a whirlwind. Things started happening too fast, almost faster than he would have believed they could ever happen. One second he had been comparing her beauty to that of Sakura's, the finest compliment he thought one could pay a girl, and literally, the very next moment he was being drug down the middle of the street and told in no uncertain terms not be late in picking her up for their date.

And now, here he was, stuck in a hospital bed from chakra exhaustion, with only the two lone flowers in a vase to keep him company, and very conflicting feelings concerning the two most prominent women in his life occupying his thoughts.

**BANG!**

"Gah!"

**Wh-whumph!**

"Goooood morning, Naruto-kun!" The blonde half of Naruto's thoughts stood at the opening to his room, a large bundle of flowers in her arms and a heart warming smile on her face. She struck a small pose, which was disturbingly reminiscent of Konoha's resident Beautiful Green Beasts.

A small groan directed her attention to a bundle of bedclothes and tangled limbs on the linoleum. She frowned. How dare he spoil her perfect entrance? She had practiced in front of the mirror for at least an hour that morning!

"Naruto!" She shrieked angrily. "You idiot! What the hell are you doing on the floor!?"

The boy could only raise his head dazedly and stare at her.

Ino sighed and marched into his room, setting the bundle of flowers on the small table next to his bed, which completely eclipsed the two lone flowers, and hauled the bewildered Naruto to his feet.

"Ino?" Was his intelligent response. She giggled at the confused expression etched on his face.

"Yes, Naruto. That's my name. I'm so glad that you remembered." She said playfully.

She reached down and picked up the sheets, throwing them back on his bed in some semblance of order. She then turned her attention to the patient, brushing imaginary dirt off of his shoulders and straightening the loose shirt that adorned his lean frame.

She pushed him, unresistingly, back into bed.

All the while, that dazed, surprised look was on his face.

His eyes followed her as she bounced around his room, opening the windows to let more afternoon sunlight in, glancing over his chart in a semi-serious way, and even checking on the temperature of the room.

He watched her flit from place to place with a small smile on his face.

_She didn't forget me after all._

She finished adjusting her bouquet in the vase, noting with disdain the small flowers that she set aside to make room for her own, and turned her attention to the boy behind her. She felt her cheeks warm ever so slightly as she saw that he was watching her intently, following her every move.

She smiled bashfully at him, but she was smugly congratulating herself at the same time for a plan perfectly executed.

_Success!_ Inner Ino stated with no small amount of satisfaction. _I've totally got his attention. Now, I've just got to keep it._

She had been slightly worried that he would be resentful that she hadn't stopped by to see him even once since he had been hospitalized. She knew he would worry that she had only been fooling around with him, but she had to remain firm. Naruto had failed to take care of himself, and done something extremely rash, despite his promise to her otherwise. She had to let wallow in a little guilt and misery so that when she swooped in and blindsided him with her prescence, he would be so beholden to the girl that he would never disobey her again.

Fortunately for Ino, circumstances have conspired to make it seem as if Naruto's attentions are the product of her subtle manipulations.

She cocked her head and queried slyly, "Did you miss me?"

Naruto, startled out of his thoughtful mood, responded gaily "Of course I did, Ino-chan!"

His foxy grin and the twinkle in his eye was more than enough to set her heart to racing.

He nodded towards the flowers. "Thanks for the flowers, Ino-chan. Sakura-chan's been bringing some every day, but I don't think I've ever seen so many in one bundle!"

Ino's smile dimmed slightly as the realization that her friend had been her _every single day_ while she had not, hit her hard.

Now, instead of cheering, Inner Ino was screeching all sorts of curses and epithets. Some were directed at herself for her stupidity but most were directed at Sakura for being there when she had not.

Inner Ino calmed deep breath and released it. _Calm down, Ino. Forehead Girl was probably only being a good teammate. She did the same thing for Lee, didn't she?_

"—be out by tomorrow evening." The last end of a sentence snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, what did you say? I didn't quite catch that."

"I said that I'm gonna be out of here by tomorrow evening! I can finally go back to training." He laughed, but was cut short by the displeased look on her face.

"Training?" The query in her voice was deceptively sweet, but something quailed in Naruto at the sickly grin on her face. "What's this I hear about training?"

"Well, I do have to keep getting stronger?" He asked rather than stated, hoping for a positive response. He got none.

He tried again. "Umm…because of the upcoming Chuunin Exams?"

Jackpot! Ino had dropped the aura of malevolence about her, and was looking slightly thoughtful. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"I forgot," she murmured, "you're still a Genin." She pursed her lips and nodded once, not happy, but accepting of his answer.

He would let the slight on his honor go, just this once. And not because he was sure she knew the meaning of castration, either.

"But!" She thundered sternly with index finger wagging in his direction. "You _will_ take a week's break before you resume training. I won't have you collapsing in a fit of testosterone induced idiocy just because you're afraid of appearing weak."

It was clear that she expected complete compliance, and although Naruto was not the sharpest sword in the sheathe, he wasn't as dull as many thought him to be. He nodded hastily. "Of course, Ino-chan!"

He hesitated, then asked, "But what I am going to do for a _whole week_!? I can't sit still that long! What do you think I've been doing in here all this time? Twiddling my thumbs?"

He was afraid of Ino's temper, but was used to enough of Sakura's beatings to brave this girl's wrath.

That sly look reappeared on her face, only this time, it was….inviting and mischievous. It made his mouth go dry, the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up, and a strange sensation to roll through his gut.

She stalked towards him slowly, hands clasped innocently behind her back and swaying her hips in the way that she_ knew_ drove him (and every red-blooded male in miles) mad, dammit!

He froze in place as she stopped beside his bed and leaned closer to him, invading his personal space and gazing into his cobalt eyes with her own cornflower blues, still smiling that breath hitching smile of hers.

"I'm sure I can help you think of something, ne, Naruto-kun?" She whispered throatily as she tilted her head in a way that made him want to howl aloud.

Her lips darted forwards and captured his.

Naruto's world exploded at the seams when he felt her lips press into his. He was only aware of the scent of honeysuckle, the delicious friction of her mouth against his own, and the feel of her breath as she exhaled gently through her nose.

There was an odd tickling sensation between his lips and he was startled to discover that it was her tongue that was seeking entrance into him. This was new!

He'd never knew that one could use their tongues in such…intimate ways. Of course, he had only kissed a girl twice before, and Ino had the honor of being the first girl he'd ever kissed, but still! Not even in the few moments of fumbling ecstasy in the greenhouse could compare with this!

He obligingly opened his mouth, and without a moment's hesitation, she pressed onwards, near startling Naruto in her enthusiasm.

While instructing Naruto in the finer arts of how to kiss a girl and make her enjoy it, Ino slowly pressed him back into his pillow. She pressed him so far in fact, that she had to half kneel on the bed to maintain her reach on him. One hand was on the bed to balance herself, the other was curled happily in the boy's hair, unconsciously stroking and gently tugging it in time to the rhythm of their lips.

Closing his eyes, he reveled in the powerful sensations that Ino was introducing him to. He had always been lacking in physical affection growing up, so this sort of touching was was near to becoming addictive to the boy.

At this point, he would have torn out Orochimaru's heart on placed it on silver platter for her, if only she would keep on touching him!

Desperate for something he couldn't put a name to, Naruto brought up a hand and cradled her face in it, pulling her mouth and lips against him so hard, he nearly threw her off balance. The other hand crept slowly to her knee, and inched slowly up her leg until it rested on her thigh.

With great reluctance, she broke the kiss and snaked her head out of his reach, smiling impishly at his groan of frustration. Both were gasping for air, flushed, and swirling with sensations that were new to one and only a little familiar to the other.

"Inooooo…" Naruto growled in annoyance.

Ino raised an eyebrow at his agitation and laughed in a way that sent shivers down his spine.

"Well, Naruto-kun? Have you come up with any good ideas yet?"

He was about to let loose a blistering tirade of all the nasty curses, both foreign and familiar, when Ino swung her right leg over his legs and settled herself primly onto his lap.

He could only gawk at her in surprise.

She shifted around for a few moments, trying to get comfortable. Suddenly, she froze in place and blushed slightly.

She looked down at Naruto and said lightly, "Well, it's nice to know that my ideas are appreciated."

Without further ado, she leaned forwards, took his face in her hands, and sucked his lower lip into her warm mouth. Almost instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to his chest and lap.

He gently pulled away from her swollen lips, and started to trail molten lava with his mouth and tongue down her jawline and into the crook of her neck.

She gasped when he found her pulse, and she actually purred in pleasure as he started on a steady rhythm there while she tilted her head back to give him better access.

A pool of heat sank from her stomach to her crotch as she felt his hands trace patterns up the back of her shirt and bury themselves in her hair.

Lost in the moment and consumed with a desire to know the boy beneath her in every way possible, she reached up and undid her hair tie, causing it to cascade around them and fill Naruto's nostrils with even more of Ino's intoxicating scent.

"Naruto…" she whispered urgently, lost in the feel of his tongue lapping away at her skin. She ground slowly into his lap, enjoying the feel and heat of him, and delighting in the strangled growl it elicited from his throat.

She took both hands away from his hair and brought them up to her shirt ties, determining that there were too many layers of clothes on both parties.

Suddenly, the door crashed open and the last person that Ino wanted to see strolled into the room.

"Looks like you'll be getting out sooner that you thou--"

Sakura's words died on her lips as she saw Naruto, and more importantly, who was straddling Naruto's lap.

Naruto's head whipped up at the sound of her voice, nearly bashing the back of his head against Ino's chin in his haste. He stared with wide eyes at her trembling form. One hand still around Ino's waist, he unconsciously stretched a hand out towards his teammate.

"Sakura-cha—"

He was cut off when Ino forced him to face her with both hands and leaned down to give him a soul-searing kiss, keeping her gaze locked with the pink haired medic at the door and letting her know exactly how things were. She growled in the back of her throat in triumph as she heard him moan slightly.

_He's mine, Forehead Girl. You had your chance. I'll be the one he looks at from now on, not you. He's __**mine!**_

Sakura could only stare with a sinking heart. Ino had already made the first move. She had the advantage.

She understood the unspoken words in her rival's eyes, but she wasn't sure if she was willing to accept them.

"Oh." She said softly.

She stepped inside and shut the door.

* * *

**Yes well, this was my first time writing anything...explicit. Be gentle in your critiscism, dear readers. And yes, I know that was an evil cliffhanger. I am debating whether or not to turn this into a full blown story or to continue along with my one shots. Let me hear your thoughts on this. Hope you enjoyed it.**


	2. Chapter 2: Flanking Manuever

_**Initial Offensive  
**_**A Xenocide Production**

**AN: Well, as you can no doubt tell, I've decided to attempt a Chaptered fic with romance as the main genre. I have no idea how long it'll run, or even if I'll stick with it. It will really all depend on the readers and their reactions. **_**Dead On Arrival**_** is slow in coming, so maybe this will tide me over. **

**Summary: **Ino had already made the first move. She had the advantage.

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. I do, however, have plans to kidnap Kishimoto-sensei, drug him with Dr. Pepper, and force him to do an ecchi laden Naruto harem manga. I know that deep, deep, deep down, he wants to do it. Despite that little thing he calls a conscience. **

**----------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter Two: Flanking Manuever**

She calmly walked into the room, maintaining eye contact with Ino all the while, willing herself to remain cool and composed, even though all she wanted to do at the moment was collapse on the white linoleum floor, curl up into a little ball, and cry until her eyes ran out of tears.

She moved over to the side of the bed closest to the door and tried not reach out and yank the girl currently on top of her patient out of the room by the root of her hair.

Sakura pushed all thoughts and feelings of hurt and betrayal out of her head. In order to get back in control of herself and impose some semblance of order over the situation, she seized the emotion that she was most familiar with, and let unbridled fury sweep through her and boil in her veins.

She wasn't angry with Naruto, for once.

After all, it wasn't like it was his fault that Ino had suddenly decided to seduce him right under her very nose! He was only a boy, and it was perfectly natural for a boy to be overwhelmed by a girl when they showed a little flesh or led them to a dark corner. Men were weak, and she understood that. Naruto had no more control over his actions than she had control over the Godaime Hokage.

No, the blame all rested on Ino, who knew perfectly well that Naruto belonged to Sakura, even if she didn't say it out loud to her. It was sort of one of those unspoken rules, the ones that you follow instinctively, even though they aren't set in stone or ritually formalized onto paper.

What hurt all the more was that Ino was her friend, her very best since the Academy. Since Sasuke had defected, they had slowly rebuilt their relationship. Sakura had found herself spending more time at the flowershop, just like they had in the old days, and not a day went by when they would sit and just _talk_ like best friends can only talk.

She had been there for Ino, second only behind Shikamaru and Chouji, in the aftermath of the death of Asuma-sensei, and it hurt her deeply to see her friend in so much pain while there was nothing she could do about it. Ino had turned to the bottle and kept herself busy with an inhuman mission count, downsizing her friendship with Sakura to the occasional greeting in the street and late night cry on Sakura's shoulder.

The last week had seen a miraculous change in her friend, and she had been so happy to see that Ino had managed to drag herself out of the deep pit of grief she had dug for herself. She was surprised to hear that it was a boy of all things that spurred Ino's change of heart, and she was naturally curious about the man that had helped Ino regain her passion for life. Her fellow medic in training was rather close-lipped about the boy, despite her prods and pokes to get her to cough up information. It was rather odd behavior for the girl, considering that Ino never passed up a chance to gossip about men.

Ever. Especially the ones that she was involved with.

And now, she knew why. Ino had set her sights on Naruto, even though she knew damn well that Sakura herself had recently been eyeing the village's resident loudmouth ninja for quite some time.

In an instant, Sakura swept aside her feelings for Ino as a friend. If Ino wanted it to go back to the way things were before Sasuke left, that was fine with her. Ino, her best friend, was gone. In her place was Ino-pig, Sakura's rival.

And that was the way things were. Sakura assumed her old role and began.

That blonde bimbo had the _nerve _sweep into _her_ hospital, crawl into _her_ patient's bed, steal _his_ first kiss from her, and had the sheer _gall_ to stake a claim on what had been hers in the first place.

_**That's right! **_Inner Sakura raged with righteous fury._** Naruto was my teammate long before she tried to get in his pants!**_

A quieter, cooler voice in the back of her mind whispered that she would have been in Ino's position much, much sooner if only she hadn't clung so childishly to her feelings for the last Uchiha.

That voice was far too close to the truth for comfort, so she ruthlessly crushed it underneath the weight of her anger. She clenched her fists together and gritted her teeth as she caught a glimpse of her rival's tongue tracing her teammate's lips.

_**Enough already! You've made your point!**_

Meanwhile, the blonde kunoichi was watching Sakura's reactions intently.

She noted the gritted teeth and clenched fists, surprised that Sakura had yet to say a word or even attempt to remove her from the boy's bed.

It saddened Ino that her friend had instantly realized the truth, though she wished Sakura hadn't found out this way.

She had tried to find a way to tell the girl about her budding attraction to Naruto, but she couldn't seem to find the courage. She knew she had broken the cardinal unspoken law that you never, _ever_ under any circumstances go after the boy that your best friend has her eye on, but she couldn't seem to find a shred of remorse in her soul about it.

She had realized, that night in the bar, what a rare soul that Uzumaki Naruto was. He was one of those boys that would do everything in his power to make the woman he loved happy and content, even if it meant his death in the process.

She discovered in an instant what Sakura was slowly beginning to see, what Iruka-sensei had always seen, and what the Sandaime had hoped everyone else would see.

And once she caught a glimpse of it in the boy, she knew in that moment that she just _couldn't _hand over Naruto over to Sakura, not when she saw a chance to make him hers.

So, it came to this. She made the first move. She had planned on telling Sakura _after_ she had tied Naruto to her body and soul, but that was no longer an option. Instead, she opted to get her message across in the most expressive way she knew how. This boy was now her property and damned if she was going to let anyone, even if it was her best friend, have a chance to steal him away.

She finally closed her eyes and concentrated on frying what few brain cells the poor boy beneath her had left. She could feel his hardness poking at the side of her thigh, and it made her almost unreasonably pleased that she had such an effect on him.

He clutched at her hips with longing, fighting back the urge to yank her back to him when she slowly pulled back, his lower lip gently in between her teeth. She let go and sighed in contentment. He opened his eyes groggily as she slid her arms around his neck and rested her chin on the top of his head, partially obstructing his view of his surrounding with a thin curtain of blonde hair and once again filling his senses with that overpowering scent of honeysuckle.

_It has to be illegal for a girl to smell so good._ He thought hazily.

He buried his face in her neck and nearly melted when he felt her fingers idly fiddling with the hair that covered the back of his neck.

_Oh, Kami, that feels so good! Not even Sakura-chan—_

His eyes flew open in horror. He had totally forgotten the pink haired medic in the midst of Ino's….err…..ministrations. Jolting upright, he jerked to attention so fast, he knocked the girl perched in his lap off him and nearly dumped her onto the floor!

With a startled yelp, she flew backwards and landed with a loud** squeak!** of the bedsprings. Hair in disarray and one of her shoulder ties undone, she scowled darkly up at Naruto only to see him focused solely on his teammate, a combination of terror, embarrassment, and shame warring for dominance on his face.

"Ah…err…I'm—Sakura-chan, it isn't—I mean—"

He was babbling incoherently, hands up in a warding gesture and flailing madly. As if that flimsy excuse of a defense would save him if Sakura really wanted to inflict some pain. And as angry as she looked at that moment, he was sure that pain was not going to be in short supply.

"Naruto?"

He winced at frigid tone of her voice. "Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"Shut up."

"Yes m'am." He promptly shut his mouth, which was probably the smartest thing he'd done in the last twenty four hours.

She turned her glare to Ino, now reclined comfortably in the recess between Naruto's legs, was fussing with her hair, trying to pull it back into a rough ponytail. She made no move to fix the shirt tie that was left a good portion of her shoulder bare to Naruto's eyes.

"Really, Forehead Girl," the blonde drawled nonchalantly as she tied her hair back, "haven't you ever heard of knocking? This is a hospital you know. Patients need their privacy."

"Last I heard, Ino-_pig_," Sakura snarled sweetly, "you're not a patient in _my_ hospital." She paused. "But that can be arranged."

The blonde girl merely smirked. Sakura's eye twitched.

"Getting full of ourselves, aren't we? I guess Hokage-sama made you Director in all but name?"

Naruto was beginning to sweat heavily. The tension between the two girls was near to rivaling Itachi's killing intent. And that's no mean feat, if he did say so himself. He knew that Sakura would be angry with him for being a pervert, and in the hospital of all places, but why was she so angry with Ino? Weren't they friends?

"Ah, Ino-chan?" He ventured.

"Shut up, Naruto." She responded firmly, without even glancing at him.

"Yes m'am."

Sakura drew herself up to her full height. Which wasn't very impressive really, but it did give her a measure of confidence. "Get off of him, this instant! I won't have you…you…doing things to him! This is a hospital, not a love motel!"

Ino stretched lazily, arching her back much like a cat would, allowing the shoulder of her shirt to slip down even more, and inadvertently rubbing her loins harshly against Naruto's stomach.

Naruto could only stare in amazement and no small amount of lust, and try to subtly rearrange his blankets to hide his reaction to Ino's brazen display from Sakura.

Ino yawned cutely, holding the back of hand against her mouth. She sat up very, very slowly, radiating sensuality seemingly effortlessly.

She placed her hands demurely on Naruto's knees and proceeded to _slide_ off of the bed, making every effort to touch him as much as possible, and making it very clear what they would be doing if Sakura hadn't interrupted them.

She paused on the side of the bed and looked over her bare shoulder. "Naruto-kun, would you mind helping me tie this silly thing back up? Bows have never been my strong point."

Without waiting for an answer, she gathered her hair into one hand and swept it over to the side, baring creamy skin for his viewing pleasure. He stared for a moment, trying to remind himself that Sakura, the girl he still has a crush on, was still in the room with them. With a shaking hand he reached out—

"Yeowch!" He yelped. He jerked his hand away from Ino's neck, trying to shake off the sharp stinging sensation that suddenly assaulted it. "Sakura-chan, what—?"

Sakura, red-faced and quivering in indignation, had stalked over and rapped his knuckles as hard as she could.

Ino opened her mouth to protest, but before she could, Sakura yanked her off of the bed by her wrist and proceeded to drag her out of the room.

She struggled furiously, but the medic nin's freakish strength made resistance futile. She caught hold of the door frame and managed to yell out, "I'll bring dinner over tomorrow! Is sushi ok or—ack—!"

Naruto just stared at the door, shell-shocked.

Ino had propositioned him. In front of Sakura.

For kami's sake, he probably would have ended up losing his virginity to Ino in a hospital bed if Sakura hadn't barged in!

The thought didn't really bother him, for some strange reason. Not as much as he thought it would, anyway. He almost felt something like disappointment, but that could have just been the lingering after affects of Ino.

A beat.

He grinned foxily.

He was going to get free dinner tomorrow! Hell Yeah!

-----------

She dragged the blonde a good distance down the hall, Ino struggling and cursing all the way, not stopping until she halted in front of a medical supply closet and practically threw Ino in it. Taking a quick look around to make sure they weren't spotted, she went in after her.

Ino was scowling while hastily retying her shirt. She heard the door shut and turned to see an enraged Sakura.

"What the _**fuck**_ were you doing, Ino?"

Ino smiled cattily. "Well, you actually hit the nail on the head with that one. Or least, you would have if you'dve been a half-hour later." She casually crossed her arms over her chest, leaning against a rack of blankets.

"That's not what I meant," the other girl fumed, "and you know it!"

**That's right, you bitch! What the hell were you doing with my man?**

If regular Sakura was about to blow a gasket, then Inner Sakura was about to go into a seizure.

Ino looked away. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I really didn't mean to wait so long to tell you. I just…" She trailed off.

Sakura snorted. "Yeah, right. What, you were going to wait till _after_ you fucked him?"

Silence.

"My god, you really were, weren't you?" She laughed incredulously. "I can't believe this." She wrung her hands absentmindedly.

The blonde took a deep breath. "You've got to understand, Sakura. He—"

"He what!?!" Sakura cut her off. "What the hell is there to understand!?" Sakura leaned forwards, hissing venomously. "I trusted you, Ino. I tell you that I think I might finally be falling for the idiot and what do you do? You sneak around to stab me in the back, you _**BITCH!**_"

Sakura's words hurt Ino deeply, though she tries not to show it. She opens her mouth to try to explain, to get her friend to _understand—_

But Sakura was having none of it. "After all those times I spoke up for you..." She says coldly. "You what, Ino? Ami was right. You _will_ spread your legs for any guy that looks at you halfway decent, won't you?"

Ino staggers against the rack, as if the words are physical blows to her body.

"Naruto's not like that, you _pig_." Sakura spat. "Shikamaru and Chouji may have been content to be notches on your bedpost, but I won't let you use him like that."

A gasp and a muffled sob. "Th-that's not true, Sakura! How can you say—?"

Sakura pushed on relentlessly. "Oh? I guess it's also not true that the only reason you missed Asuma-sensei so much is because you were his young _fuckbuddy_," this word dripped with distaste and scorn, "the little whore he bought trinkets and flowers for whenever Kurenai-sensei was on a missi—"

_**CRACK!**_

The pink haired medic's head whipped to the side with the force of Ino's open-handed blow.

Sakura's hand came up to gingerly cradle her cheek as she stared wide eyed with disbelief at the girl across from her.

Tears were streaming down Ino's face, ruining the mascara and makeup she had so painstakingly applied that morning for one boy's benefit. Her eyes were filled with raw, bleeding pain and a new emotion that was hard to pinpoint—**Hatred**, supplied Inner Sakura helpfully—as well as grief that had only begun to scab over, ripped open forcefully by Sakura's cruel words.

"You're just j-jealous t-that I—", a breath hitch barely controlled, "—_I _got to h-him first."

Ino was trying so hard to believe her own words, to believe that Sakura wouldn't knowingly say such hurtful, evil things to a friend.

She continued, "You're a-angry that you waited t-too long to take—" another barely controlled sob, "—a-a-advantage of the f-fact that S—Sasuke was _never _coming back t-to you!"

Sakura inhaled sharply, as if a fist had been buried in her gut.

Sasuke's name was taboo. How dare she think she knows _**anything**__—!?!?_ Sasuke was hers and Naruto's teammate, no one else's!

Inner Sakura was strangely quiet.

That only served to fuel her rage even more.

"And A-A-A-Asuma-sensei was _never_ anything less than a man of_ h-honor_." Ino's eyes were screwed shut as she furiously wiped the tears from her face, smearing her makeup horribly. She sniffed and then added in a vicious whisper, "And I thought you were _my_ friend, Sakura."

Before the other girl could retort, Ino shoved her aside and blindly fumbled for the doorknob, finally finding it and stumbling blindly into the hallway. A few stray nurses whispered to each other at the sight of the poor girl.

The sobs suddenly welled back up in her and she fled for the exit, pushing anyone out of her way and nearly knocking over more than a few patients.

In the supply closet, Sakura could only stare at the door where her now assuredly former best friend had fled, rage strangely absent. There was only a dull, queer feeling in her chest.

"He's mine, Ino. Not yours. Mine."

The soft words brought no cheer of victory from Inner Sakura.

Only a sharp throb from the dullness in her chest acknowledged her words.

-----------

Naruto was resting his hands behind his head when the nurse who couldn't take a joke poked her head in.

"You're being discharged, boy." She said in a gruff tone.

He perked his head up. "Where's Sakura-chan and Ino-chan? I thought Sakura-chan had to sign some papers or something?"

A bundle of clothes hit him in the face. His shinobi uniform, of course, all freshly cleaned and pressed. "Sakura-sempai already signed then papers and told me to convey her regrets. She was late on starting her afternoon rounds." The nurse propped her hands up on her hips. "And I'm afraid I don't know anything about any 'Ino-chan'."

He slipped on his shirt and pants, wadding up the hospital clothes and tossing them in the hamper, unmindful of the nurse. She'd seen all there was to see, anyway.

"I see." He walked past her, placing a hand on her shoulder in thanks. "Thanks for everything, nee-chan. Sorry about all the trouble."

The nurse gave him a small smile. Maybe the brat wasn't all that bad.

"You're quite welcome. Now, you'd better get a move on." She made a shooing motion and he grinned. He turned to leave, but something was wrong. She narrowed her eyes. He was walking away but…there was something still on her shoulder!

"!!!"

She jerked her head to the side and stared with wide eyes at the twitching hand still convulsively clutching her shoulder.

"AIIIEIEIEIEIEEE!!" She shrieked and fainted dead away. The hand disappeared in a small puff of smoke.

Naruto snickered snidely at the sound her body made hitting the floor.

The Old Hag hadn't said anything about no jokes _after_ his release, now had she?

* * *

**Wow, you guys really pumped me up. Be proud of the fact that I put out a new chapter in less than 48 hours. I'm usually very lazy.**

**Also, I am considering grouping all of my previous InoxNaru oneshots into one whole fic, (this one, I think) the oneshots obviously coming before this story. On the other hand, I would hate to lose everyone's encouraging reviews. Hope you enjoyed. Give me your reactions and thoughts. **


	3. Chapter 3: Target Practice

_**Initial Offensive  
**_**A Xenocide Production**

**AN: What the hell? Over 100+ reviews for two chapters? I wasn't expecting such a furious acclaim for an InoxNaruto fic. But, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. On to chapter the third. A slight change of pace.**

**Summary: **Ino had already made the first move. She had the advantage.

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. I do, however, have plans to kidnap Kishimoto-sensei, drug him with Dr. Pepper, and force him to do an ecchi laden Naruto harem manga. I know that deep, deep, deep down, he wants to do it. Despite that little thing he calls a conscience. **

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter Three: Target Practice**

"_Nothing else exists."_

"_There is only you, the target, and the rest of the universe."_

Eyes closed, he breathes in deeply, basking in the warmth of the afternoon sunlight.

"_It's impossible to ignore the rest of the world, boy. Meditation is not about losing yourself in the flow of things. That kind of thinking is dangerous."_

A gentle breeze is wafting through the small clearing, playfully tousling his golden locks of hair and sending a pair of leaves cavorting merrily in the air.

"_Those pompous quacks who claim that enlightenment is found when you detach yourself from the so-called earthly realm are idiots. It's easy to run away from life and pretend you don't exist. It takes more guts to live and admit you're a small thread in a much larger pattern." _

He exhaled, and opened himself up, expanding his awareness to encompass as much as he could. There was a soft _click, _as if a rusty lock had been undone, and he felt _everything_.

**LIGHT—!! **The Sun was a raging inferno, dousing each individual pore of his skin with a torrent of hellfire.

**SOUND—!! **The gentle murmur of the wind was a skull shattering shriek that sunk into his very bones.

**TASTE—!! **The cool aftertaste of the stream water was now achingly sweet, he nearly cried aloud from the shock of it.

**TOUCH—!! **The grass beneath his bare feet was a bed of razors, each digging cruelly into his flesh with each shift of the wind.

**SCENT—!! **The earthy loam of the forest was rife with rotting vegetation, the musky dens of woodland creatures, and the sickening smell of moldering carrion.

Awareness of his surroundings nearly overwhelmed him, the sheer life of it all overloading his senses. But, he calmly swept the chaos away, accepting his place in the order of things, and letting it all flow through him, as he had been taught to do so.

"_Man doesn't like to admit that he's one of the smallest creatures in existence. There are an infinite number of things that are bigger and ultimately more important than the life of a single human being."_

Jiraiya, the Legendary Toad Sannin, otherwise known as Ero-sannin by his hyperactive student, had been surprisingly full of knowledge, as he had come to learn on their two and a half year journey. The most useful thing he had learned, in his opinion anyway, was the state of meditation that the white haired old man had termed 'The Pattern'.

As awkward and incredibly stupid as the name sounded, the meditation itself was quite helpful in organizing his thoughts and centering his feelings.

At first, he had loudly decried meditation as useless pile of crap that served as an excuse for people to sit on their asses. Jiraiya, the sneaky bastard, had known now resistant his student would be to the idea of sitting quietly, and had arranged for a demonstration that had involved a blindfold, a pile of rope, and the complete and utter humiliation of his pupil.

Even sightless, the Sannin had managed to perform some serious ownage on a kid three quarters his age and potentially much stronger than he in his prime.

Needless to say, after he had semi-permanently suppressed the urge to murder his sensei, he realized that 'The Pattern' was absolutely awe inspiring in battle, when used by a master of the art. He had been hooked, visions of a certain tri-cornered hat in his head and the knowledge that this training would bring him that much closer to the Bastard.

So, he had begun instruction on the art of sitting down and shutting his mouth (much to the relief of his sensei).

He was far from mastering it, but he was no mere beginner either. Even the old pervert was astonished at how far the boy had come in such a short time, though privately, he wasn't surprised in the least.

All shinobi possess a sense of awareness, obviously more so than their civilian counterparts. That awareness manifests itself in a variety of different ways, whether it be through a simple a thing as killing intent, or the molding of chakra.

The state of meditation known as The Pattern focuses on this aspect of a shinobi's abilities and enhances it far beyond what your normal shinobi is capable of.

Imagine being so attuned to your surroundings that the very stones themselves warn you of an enemy's approach.

It is said the most adept users could even see the pattern of life itself, but that level of proficiency has not been seen in a millennia or two since its inception.

"_Remember that, boy.  
_

_Remember that you're only a thread, be aware of everything around you, and you'll be more alive and in control of yourself than any holy man will ever be."_

He just stood there for a moment, reveling in the feel of being a part of something larger than himself, of realizing that everything was connected in some way or another. He calmed himself, and turned his attention to the task at hand.

He……..narrowed his awareness.

He would be hard pressed to explain it in layman's terms. Truth be told, he still doesn't quite understand his master's long, rambling, and extremely complicated explanation of the whole process.

If he had to attempt an explanation, he would probably describe it as merely singling out the 'thread' in 'The Pattern'. If anything, that explanation would make him look suitably wise and philosophical. Comprehension be damned.

The cold steel in his hands was no longer some dead thing crudely wrought by human hands.

It was alive, and it spoke to him in shivery whispers of its life beneath the earth, hidden deep in some long forgotten womb of stone. It spoke of how it was ripped from its home, shrieking curses of heat and death upon the hands that tore it from its home, and carted off to the forge where it was reborn in a symphony of ringing steel and bellowing fire. It was no longer an unsightly lump of disgruntled metal. It was a beautiful thing, death made tangible in gleaming edges and seductive lines.

He opened himself up even more, sank deeper into the tapestry, struggling to hear the wispy voice even clearer.

Amongst flashes of fire, unintelligible whispers, and flickers of childlike glee, he heard it clearly, a rasping of steel against steel that yearned to fulfill its purpose.

"**Now!"**

His eyes snapped open, the joyous song of steel coursing through his entire being, and for just a moment, an instant, he was one with the universe.

With a hoarse shout, he brandished the fan of kunai in each hand with a flourish, then sent them screaming delightedly towards their targets.

He spun fluidly in place, hands a blur and death made tangible flying from his fingertips. He spared not a glance at any of his targets, already assured and _knowing_ that he would hit each and every one of them dead on.

Being one with the universe kicked serious ass.

Last three kunai in hand, he tossed the first two up in the air, and they twirled end over end in a fit of eagerness.

He was _aware_ now, and nothing could break his place in the pattern.

He whipped his arm straight up and snapped his wrist, putting a controlled spin on the last kunai as it sped towards its two counterparts.

With a shower of sparks, the lone kunai deflected the other two, sending them to sink into the two targets directly across from each other.

Eyes closed, still deep in meditative trance, his hand lazily darted out to the side and snagged the last kunai as it fell to the earth, holstering it safely in his weapons pouch.

_Clap Clap Clap_

The sharp sounds snapped him out of his awareness, and it was with great reluctance that he shrunk his thoughts back to his own thread in the pattern. The whispery voices of the kunai faded into the background, and they became nothing more than dead lumps of steel once again.

"I'm impressed, Naruto. You never were all that good with weapons, and yet not only do I find you here practicing diligently, I see that you're actually _improving_?" A dry, bored voice filtered through the trees.

"It's not nice to sneak up on people like that, Kaka-sensei." He walked up to one of his targets, a log shaped in a crude imitation of a human torso, with various vital spots denoted with angry splashes of red paint.

There were nineteen targets arranged in a large circle around Naruto. Every last one of them had kunai buried up to the hilt in the red spot that covered the heart.

A white haired silhouette dropped drown from the trees, with hands in both pockets, and sauntered slowly towards the ring of dummies. Seeing Naruto gathering his kunai from the targets, he leaned lazily up against one and drawled, "We're shinobi, Naruto. We're _supposed_ to sneak up on people. Being nice has nothing to do with it." He brushed an imaginary bit of dirt from a target's shoulder.

Silence.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

Usually his hotheaded student would have gone off into a rant by now, simultaneously arguing with his sensei for the heck of it, and boasting how kick ass with his kunai he'd become.

Silence from Naruto, as the jounin had so often had the misfortune to observe, was not a good thing.

"Nice little trick at the end there. Reminds me of how Sasuke used to do the same thing with his Sharingan. Only he was better at it, of course."

Still no reaction.

Only a grunt from the boy as he struggled to pry a particularly well lodged kunai from the red target.

Kakashi frowned beneath his mask, the slight furrowing of his brow the only indication of his displeasure.

_Yikes. I thought for sure that Sasuke's name would get some kind of reaction from him. I'm almost afraid to ask what's got him all bent out of shape. It takes a lot to throw this kid for a loop._

He nonchalantly crossed his arms across his chest. "Does Sakura know you're out here undoing all of her hard work?"

His eye narrowed as he saw Naruto freeze for a split second, muscles tense and shoulders hunched as he grasped the hilt of the last kunai in the target next to Kakashi. Then, it was gone, and he was smoothly blowing off the last remnants of sawdust from the blade and sheathing it easily in his thigh holster.

Kakashi probably would have missed it had he not been an expert in reading body movements and expressions, an ingrained skill from the possession of a rogue Sharingan.

A normal shinobi would have been clueless.

_Ah,_ he smiled in self satisfaction, _girl trouble. Why am I not surprised?_

Naruto reached up and scratched the back of his head in his trademark manner, replying lightly, "I was only meditating. Not like I was trying to invent a new jutsu or anything like that."

"Is that how you ended up in the hospital so soon after your last mishap?" He eyed his student with condescension. "I thought I had made it perfectly clear that you weren't to be experimenting without either myself or Yamato-taishou present."

The boy scowled. "I was only messing around with the Rasengan. I wasn't doing any of that wind affinity crap you were talking about."

"I doubt the destruction of two and half acres of Training Ground Eight would be categorized as 'messing around'."

"Whatever." Naruto turned and started down the path to civilization. He suddenly didn't feel like continuing his training anymore. All the energy that had prompted him to head straight to the Training Grounds from the Hospital's front doorstep was now absent. Well, he _had_ only gotten out of the hospital.

Perhaps one day of rest wouldn't hurt any.

Without a word, Kakashi fell in beside him, pulling out his limited edition copy of Icha Icha Lore and silently perusing its pages.

They walked together in silence.

It wasn't a comfortable silence by any means, for it just wasn't in Naruto's nature to be silent. But it was an easy silence, one that both appreciated greatly.

------------

Naruto eyed Kakashi out of the corner of his eye.

He'd always had a great deal of respect for the man, though some of the awe of having the Great Copy Nin Kakashi for a teacher had faded somewhat when he realized that Kakashi was more interested in training the last Uchiha than mentoring the rest of his team. He would admit that Kakashi had straightened up his act since the Valley of the End, once he realized that Team Seven consisted of three members and not one. But he would always harbor a little resentment in his heart for the fact that, like so many other times in his childhood, he had been cast aside for someone better, of good breeding, and greater talent.

Though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, least of all to the man himself, Naruto had always wanted a closer relationship with Kakashi. The man was his teacher and captain for Kami's sake! After all these years, he still knew very little about his sensei.

Iruka-sensei was what he imagined a father to be. Though the man was still far too young to fit that image, Naruto still liked to think so. Jiraiya, for all of his faults, was someone dear to the blonde, a paternal figure that hadn't quite taken the place of Old Man Hokage, but was certainly beginning to fill that role.

And Kakashi? He was more like an Uncle, the kind that you can always depend on to tell a dirty joke in a tense moment, or be there to offer all sorts of useless advice when his nephew tries to woo the girl of his dreams. He was the kind of guy that, despite his perpetual tardiness, was a man you could trust with your life.

Naruto had a problem. A very big one at that, and he had no one to talk to. His first choice was Iruka-sensei, but he was busy these days, what with the baby boom of the Post Kyuubi generation starting their Academy years.

Ero-sannin was gone on another one of his trips to gather more information concerning Akatsuki and their movements. No doubt he was also planning on frequenting one of the more lurid companionship establishments as he did so.

That really didn't leave anyone else. The Old Hag might have been willing to take the time and talk to him, but this was a topic he felt rather uncomfortable talking to with a member of the same sex, much less the opposite.

That left Kakashi. Naruto would normally dismiss the older man out of turn without a second thought, but he was desperate. There was no one else to talk to.

They came to the Bridge, Team Seven's informal meeting place, and Naruto paused at the side, leaning over the railing and idly watching the small creatures within the water skittering to and fro.

It took a few moments for Kakashi to notice his student's halt, so engrossed in Jiraiya's latest novel was he. When he finally did notice, he marked his place in his beloved book and tucked it away in one of his many pockets. He had the sneaking suspicion that Naruto was going to ask him something rather important, and he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

Team Seven had become more important to him than he'd ever thought possible, though it took the desertion of one and the near death of another to make him realize it.

After the loss of his own team, bonds with other people just hadn't seemed all that important. It was only the thought that he would be able to mentor the Uchiha that made him harbor any sort of enthusiasm for taking on a team. As time went by, however, Team Seven had begun to slowly heal the wound left by two names etched in stone and an eye that belonged to a brother.

In the beginning, his desire to mentor his last remaining link with Obito had overpowered all other thoughts of duty and reason. He had been blind to the rest of Team Seven, and he'd paid for it. Naruto and Sakura had both found different teachers when he had failed both them and Sasuke at the Valley of the End, and though he didn't begrudge them the chance to grow, he couldn't help but secretly yearn for the sort of companionship that formed between student and teacher. Sakura wasn't particularly interested, since her occupation as a medic nin and apprentice to the Godaime Hokage kept her busy, though she still made an effort to interact with her captain.

But with Naruto….

With Naruto there was still a chance for a bond. Maybe not as strong as it could have been had he made an effort in the beginning, but a bond nonetheless. He would take whatever was offered him.

That easy silence flowed between them, much like the stream that flowed beneath the bridge.

"Have you ever been in love, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto's voice was soft, and ever so slightly pensive. He had pushed beyond the boundaries of their normal relationship, and it was too late to take it back.

He turned and faced the older man, leaning against the railing, mouth fixed in an unsure foxy grin.

Kakashi grinned as well, though of course, his student didn't know it.

Here was something that he could share with Naruto that not even Jiraiya could touch. He had always been slightly jealous that the older nin had 'stolen' his student from him. Though the Sannin had made good on his promise and passed Naruto back to his care when they returned, he knew that Naruto would never really see him as the mentor that Jiraiya was to the boy.

Kakashi shrugged. "Once. A long time ago. I'm not even sure if you could call it love." He sauntered over to the opposite railing and mirrored his student's pose. "I was young, she was infatuated, and another boy had his sights set on her. At the time…maybe so. But now, when I look back, I'm not so sure."

Naruto sighed silently in relief. Talking to the jounin wouldn't be the exercise in torture he thought it would be. He had been halfway expecting the usual cold shoulder, and it was heartening to see that the man would open up a little to him.

"And there's never been any others since then?"

"There's been a few women over the years, but having a lover and being in love have absolutely nothing to do with each other." A sly gleam entered his one visible eye. "Has this anything to do with a certain pink bloom that we happen to know?"

Naruto scowled, but not out of any real annoyance. For once, Kakashi's jibes didn't seem so harsh or stinging. "Yeah. No. I don't know. It's all so confusing!"

With an airy gesture, Kakashi signaled for the boy to continue.

Naruto rubbed his hair violently, mussing up his blonde locks so that they stuck up in even worse disarray than before. "I guess it all started when I found Ino drinking sake almost as fast as the bartender could put it in front of her…"

Kakashi only raised an eyebrow at the insinuation that Naruto had been drinking as well, but he held his peace. He knew far too well the finer points of the Forgetting Game.

With much flailing of the arms, wringing of the hands, and all the loud theatrics in his repertoire, Naruto slowly ground out the entire story. He finished on a note of apprehension and slight anticipation when he mentioned the dinner Ino was supposed to be bringing him that very evening.

Kakashi could only shake his head at the irony of it all. Who would ever think that Naruto would have not one but _two_ girls competing for his affections?

Naruto planted his face in his palm, moaning theatrically, "But what do I _do_, Kaka-sensei? I still like Sakura-chan, even though she puts me through a wall every time I mention it, but Ino-chan…." And here his face went slack, obviously remembering all the close contact he had enjoyed with the beautiful girl since the date he had been forced to take her on. "Kami, Ino-chan is _wonderful_."

_Oh, the poor fool. He really has no idea, does he? Well, he never was the sharpest blade in the sheathe. Especially when it comes to girls._

He rubbed his hand thoughtfully over his chin. He had a vague suspicion as to why Sakura had yanked the Yamanaka girl out of the room so quickly, but he couldn't be sure. He was going to have to tread very carefully. Sakura was probably only irritated that the girl would be so blatant in public. It was about time that Naruto found someone to pine after other than a girl that would never return his affections.

But what if his suspicions were right? What if Sakura had finally come to see what had been in front of her all this time? _I'm sorry Sakura, but I'm not going to tell him to ignore the other girl in favor of you. She needs somebody, and if it's meant to be, he'll choose you, I suppose. If you really are interested, you shouldn't have waited so long._

"Naruto." Said blonde snapped out of his daydream, his cheeks slightly flushed. "You can't have them both, I'm afraid." His eye morphed into that little upside down 'U' that had caused many an ulcer to spring up in the Sandaime's stomach.

Naruto fought the urge to plant several kunai in very painful places in his captain's body. His eye twitched dangerously. Kakashi noticed that his pupil's hand was unconsciously creeping towards his thigh holster.

"But," he continued hurriedly, "you already knew that of course."

He folded his arms across his chest. His student would not be thrilled when he heard Kakashi's words. "Naruto, you have to choose who you want to be with. If it were me, I would go with the one who is obviously trying so hard to get you to like her. Doesn't that sound a little familiar?"

Naruto shuffled his feet awkwardly. It did indeed sound familiar. "But Sakura-chan…" he murmured.

Kakashi stepped forward and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't you think it's time to let go of her? If what you say is true, then all she'll ever be is a good friend to you." Naruto looked up. "Make her happy, and be the brother that she never had, but don't shut out someone else just for the mere _hope_ of being with your childhood crush."

Naruto sighed. Sakura was the girl he had liked for as long as he could remember. She had never returned any of his affection. At least, not in the way that he wanted her to. Ino on the other hand…..

Ino was he girl he thought he could grow to love.

It would be hard, to let go of his feelings for the woman of Team Seven. Hearts are not mended in a day and a night, but at Kakashi's words, the image of a blonde haired girl with cornflower blue eyes became that much sharper in his mind.

"I guess you're right." He said resignedly.

Kakashi patted his shoulder once, then turned Naruto towards the bustling streets of Konoha. It wouldn't do to keep the boy from his dinner date.

"It'll all work out, Naruto. I promise." He dropped his hand and fished out that orange little book.

They walked side by side down the path.

That easy silence was now a comfortable one, resting easy against the fragile bond that had not been there earlier that day between teacher and student.

Time heals all wounds, so the saying goes. The two would have plenty of opportunity in the coming days to examine the truth of it.

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"You know Naruto, if you still want to give having them both at the same time a shot, I have a spare copy of Icha Icha Tandem I would be glad to loan you."

The ring of steel being drawn slowly from a holster could be heard easily in the hush of the wood.

"YOU PERVERT! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Genuine laughter, something that the Copy Nin had thought he had long since forgotten, rang through the forest as Kakashi evaded his student's exaggerated attempts to disembowel him. Life was good.

Tomorrow would be better.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**I apologize for the slight delay. Hopefully, I'll continue on with my current update schedule, which seems to be one to three chapters a month. That's miraculous for me, no? Also, for those of you wondering "How it all started…." Check out my profile and read **_**The Forgetting Game.**_

**And sadly, no fanservice here. But don't pull out your shotguns just yet. I guarantee that in the next chapter or so that we'll see some…interesting character interactions.**

**I hope to actually add a little substance to this fic, and not make it some mindless fanservice fic. Sorry guys (and girls). There will be naughty things, but we won't focus on them every chapter. This explains the introduction of an original meditation technique and the rather sappy character developments. I'm a hopeless sap, what can I say? I tried to keep everyone in character, especially Kakashi. He's such a hard guy to write. Anyone can make him sarcastic and aloof, but how many writers can actually add some depth to him without making him look like an emotionally whiny bitch?**

**Lend me your thoughts and opinions, True Believers.**

**And yeah, that's the Stan Lee Clone in me talking. Nice guy, actually.**


	4. Chapter 4: Evasive Action: Ino

_**Initial Offensive  
**_**A Xenocide Production**

**AN: Yes, Here it is. A little Ino action. Enjoy. Or Hate me. Whatever floats your boat.**

**Summary: **Ino had already made the first move. She had the advantage.

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. I do, however, have plans to kidnap Kishimoto-sensei, drug him with Dr. Pepper, and force him to do an ecchi laden Naruto harem manga. I know that deep, deep, deep down, he wants to do it. Despite that little thing he calls a conscience. **

**Also, direct your thanks to the illustrious JohnnyG, creator of the beloved "Ice Princess of Konoha" and the author kind enough to beta this fic, and all other things concerning Naruto. Go Read His Stuff Now! I Compel Thee!**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 4: Evasive Action—Ino**

Self-introspection was not something that Ino was familiar, much less comfortable, with.

It was always easier, and much safer if truth be told, to turn her keen insight and sharp tongue on another, much more deserving person.

She was sitting at her small table, in her only slightly-cramped loft that was situated over her parent's flower shop.

This was her home, newly christened several months ago, right before the fateful altercation with the two Akatsuki members that left her and her team bereft of their sensei. A small number of boxes littered the confines of her abode, remnants of moving day and her meticulous sense of organization. Mostly everything of hers had been unpacked, but the odd knickknack still popped up from time to time.

Though really, she hadn't lived there often enough for her to be able to call it home.

After the death of Asuma, she found that, while she couldn't bear to talk to anyone, much less her parents, she also couldn't bear to be alone. The knowledge that another human being was close by gave her some strange sort of comfort and relief. She had spent more time at her parent's house in her old room than in her new home.

They hadn't objected of course, and Inoichi, ever the doting and overprotective father, had even delicately suggested that she stay 'a few more months' when she declared it was time for her to move out, just to make sure she was healed up enough emotionally to handle living on her own. But, she was bound and determined to make it on her own. There was no more reason to stay, now that she had found a reason to actually _live_ again.

Or, more precisely, a _someone_.

A lone cup and bottle, both full of cheap sake, sat quietly in front of her.

The blonde herself was staring blankly at the two forlorn items on her tabletop.

Dawn was slow in coming, the night was still far from over, and she had yet to stir from her seat, still in clothes from the previous day.

Still extremely distraught and overwhelmed from her heart-breaking fight with her best friend, she had made a beeline straight from the hospital for the nearest and familiar stall in the market that sold cheap sake and bought the largest bottle they had.

The stall owner was sympathetic to shinobi, especially those of the younger ilk as his own son and grandson had been killed in the line of duty. It was a well known secret that he gave large discounts to the defenders of Konoha. He also had no qualms about selling alcohol to those only slightly underage, drawing the line at shinobi under the age of fifteen.

The police left him largely alone, and no one would raise the hue and cry against him unless they found him selling to underage civilians or newly minted Genin.

The old man running the stall had been especially kind, eyeing her red eyes, puffy cheeks, and trembling lips with more than a little sympathy. He had frowned mightily when Ino's voice broke slightly when making her order, and he seemed about to protest the girl's outrageous choice, despite the money he would no doubt lose.

One look at the desperation in his customer's eyes, and his protestations died on his lips.

He rang up the order, and said to Ino in a gruff voice, "I don't make it a habit to interfere in my customer's affairs. Bad for business. There're some nasty things that you shinobi deal with, and a lot of ya are just kids. I understand the need fer the occasional outlet. I never liked to see you come in so often that I got to recognizin' your face, though." He placed the bottle in a brown paper bag and passed it to Ino, who seemed on the verge of tears yet again. "You gotta get some help, kid. Doin' this will only make it all the worse for you later on."

Ino left without a backwards glance.

She had run to her home, ignoring the curious looks of passerby and clutching the bag to her chest as if it were a lifeline to the promised land of oblivion.

When she stumbled inside, her bedroom, not her kitchen and glass, was her first destination.

It was all she could do to stumble blindly into her bedroom, and collapse onto her bed, burrowing into a pile of sheets with that damnable bottle still resting in her arms.

She cried again, great wracking sobs that shook her frame, and something heavy in her chest quivered in pain and pulsed in rhythm to her sorrow.

Hours later, tears finally dry and exhausted beyond measure, she had fallen into nothingness, the lids of her eyes feeling as if they weighed tons.

She had slept fitfully for a few hours, but dreams of pink bleeding to crimson and of her sensei twitching helplessly in her arms denied her rest. When she awoke, it was night. Though what time, she knew not.

The gentle sloshing of liquid in a glass bottle against her chest had drawn her attention, and somehow, without any recollection of movement at all, she found herself on her feet and in her kitchen, rummaging carelessly in her cabinets for a cup. Once found, she sat down at the table and broke the bottle's seal, pouring a large amount in the cup, watching the clear liquid swirl enticingly in its porcelain prison.

Usually, she would forgo the cup entirely, but for some strange reason, drinking directly from the bottle seemed wrong….almost as if it were against some strange set of unspoken rules.

So, she gently set the bottle down, and with a shaking hand, picked up the cup and with three noisy swallows, downed the entire glass without a breath.

It burned horribly as it went down her throat, bringing tears to her eyes, but it was a cleansing burn.

A fiery conflagration that brought salvation as it sloshed down the walls of her throat.

A taste of white, blanketing fog and welcome absolution.

She poured another cup, hand shaking even more this time, but this time, when she set the bottle down and reached for the cup, something stopped her, a small voice that murmured unintelligibly in the back of her mind and halted her hand.

She withdrew her hand and placed it in her lap along with the other.

She could only stare at the two objects on her bare tabletop, some intrinsic feeling withholding her from indulging in the easy way out.

She yearned with every fiber of her being to pick up that cup, yet she could not.

And so, here she was at her table, at some yet unnamable hour of the night when darkness casts its deepest shadows. There was nothing left to do but sit and stare at both her salvation and damnation, and think.

But sometimes, the deepest of shadows are required to find the tiniest glimmerings of light.

Why had Sakura's words cut so deeply?

It was true that she hadn't expected her rival to stoop so low, but that was only a small factor. She was used to those sorts of vicious words from Ami, the leader of the clique that had so tortured and bullied Sakura back in their Academy days. She merely brushed the rumors off, and even added a disdainful sneer to that hateful girl whenever she happened to catch a glimpse of her, which was thankfully none too often these days.

No, what really hurt her was the fact that there was a grain of truth in the medic nin's words, though whether she knew it herself was doubtful.

Ino had always been a bit of a tease, leading quite a few males on a merry chase for her affections, before leaving them in the dust. But despite the harsh words that followed her, she was never anything short of classy and self-respectable. The only boys she had ever allowed to touch her was Shikamaru, at the end of what turned out to be a rather disastrous date during an annual festival, and of course, Naruto.

All the other dates were just that: dates. She loved to have fun, and nothing was more enjoyable than having a boy fawn all over her and treat her to her heart's desire.

It was not the smartest thing to do, she ruefully reflected.

Her duties as a Konoha kunoichi and aspiring medic-nin had really left no more time for social niceties. And even though she had all but disappeared from the dating scene, those rumors still circulated, and even gained some steam when people began whispering about just how _close_ this generation's Nara-Akimichi-Yamanaka team seemed.

And when she thought back on her…amorous attentions for Naruto, something seemed to sigh brokenly.

Why had she formed such an intent bond with a boy she barely knew? For kami's sake, she just about lost her virginity and took Naruto's own in the hospital yesterday!

She frowned slightly. Not that it didn't sound all that unappealing, it just….seemed rather sudden and pushy of her. It was hard to pinpoint her thoughts and reasoning these last few weeks.

Naruto, that night at the bar, had seemed like the only person in the entire village that could understand her. He himself seemed to be struggling with some bad memories of his own.

Shikamaru and Chouji, as much as she loved her boys so, couldn't seem to get past the fact that she was _grieving_.

That's not to say that they weren't grieving either, but that they were more instilled with the shinobi doctrine than herself. All shinobi have been taught, from their first days in the Academy, that a shinobi is to never let their emotions or their prejudices command their actions in the field.

Shinobi are tools to be wielded, and they should act us such. Tools have no use nor need for such weaknesses.

If you are angry, focus that anger into your fists.

If you are afraid, focus that fear into cunning.

If you are sad, focus that grief into determination.

The other two members of Team Ten had taken that to heart. Her teammates had grieved, and moved on. They would always be sad that they had lost so dear a comrade and teacher, but they would dwell on it no longer.

Ino, on the other hand, cared too much to just let the memory of Asuma fall to the wayside. In some ways, she was a most excellent kunoichi—deadly, capable, beautiful, and cunning. In others, she was ill suited for her station. In other words, she cared too much. Konoha had never tried to train the humanity out of their shinobi, much like those of the Mist have tried to do, but they still emphasize logic over emotion.

They could not understand why Ino would not move on as well. Ino herself could not understand it either. She had killed before, yes, and did it well, with no qualms nor regrets. So why did she agonize so over her sensei's death? It was something that she would probably never understand.

Still, she was ashamed that she, as a Konoha kunoichi, could not control her emotions as was her duty.

So when Naruto made her laugh that night, for the first time in weeks, she felt nothing but immense gratitude and thankfulness to him for making that awful helplessness and sorrow fade away.

She felt alive again, and back to her old self, the girl that was the most beautiful, the loudest, and most arrogant of the Rookie Nine.

And the boy's compliments only served to amplify that feeling. He was a kind, sweet boy, and she began to see why so many people liked and respected him. It was a wonder that he wasn't already taken, or the poor Hyuuga girl hadn't tried to have a go at him.

When he mentioned Sakura, she could almost feel the encroachment of that black despair creep over her once again. Desperate to shut that feeling away forever, she resolved that very moment that Naruto would be hers, Sakura's budding feelings for the boy be damned.

Her lower lip trembled.

She and Sakura had both treated him like a possession, a thing to be owned and used at their discretion.

Or at least, Ino had.

Naruto was a salve for the bleeding wound in her soul. His very smile seemed to brighten whatever room he was in, and his cheerful attitude in the face of adversity was something to admire. She desperately wanted that kind of light in her life, and she would stop at nothing to get it. To make things worse, she had practically abandoned her scruples and morals to make sure that he chose her over Sakura.

So, Sakura had been right about one thing. She would indeed spread her legs for Naruto anytime and anywhere he pleased, as long as he remained hers. It was the only advantage that she thought she had over Sakura, who had been with Naruto since childhood, and could make a more lasting, emotional connection with him.

With Naruto's past as an orphan and village pariah known to all, Ino knew that he would be starved for physical affection, and any advances she made would be like a drug to him. She strove to be first, to bed him as soon as possible and without Sakura's knowledge, because within her heart of hearts, she knew without a doubt that if Sakura ever really tried to seduce Naruto, it would be over for her in a heartbeat.

God, she was pathetic.

She had both betrayed her best friend, and made a fool out of a boy whose only fault was to want someone to love.

A hitching breath.

A shake of the shoulders.

She didn't even know anything about Naruto.

What was his favorite movie?

Does he have any hobbies?

What's his favorite book?

Who does he admire most?

What does he do for fun?

She had no idea when his birthday was.

Outside her window, the sky began to brighten, every slowly and inexorably. Faint birdsong floated through the air, and thin wisps of smoke from the early riser's chimneys began to shimmer shyly in the early morning light.

Dawn itself crept slowly through her window panes, filling the kitchen with awakening ruby elegance, and chasing away the vestiges of the night. Motes of dust waltzed serenely on the shafts of light that beamed into her home. The light swam merrily through the sake bottle, throwing sinuously playful green patterns on the table and floor.

So that's how it was.

She was infatuated with Naruto, or perhaps, only the idea of Naruto, and the sentiments that he embodied. In a desperate bid for happiness and permanent escape from despair, she had taken his weakness and used it against him, and would very well have succeeded, had Sakura not walked in on them that very moment.

She had also most likely lost Sakura's friendship. Over a decade of laughter, sharing, and furious rivalry tossed out the window without a second thought for everything they had both gone through together.

She snorted depreciatingly at herself. Who was she kidding? It was gone the very second Sakura had put her hand on that doorknob.

The question was, even now, was she still willing to risk complete and utter ruin for Naruto, the boy that made her happy when he smiled and made her hurt when he hurt? Was she willing to actually get to know him, and to accept him as he was?

She still wanted Naruto, more than anything in the world. He was a wonderful person and a rare soul, the kind of guy you could search the world over for a thousand years and never find again.

Yes, she was willing to swallow her pride and admit that she had been entirely wrong in the way that she had pursued him.

Naruto was not Sasuke.

Treating him like a trophy and enticing him with physical pleasure was not the way to his true heart. Sure, it may earn her a few months with him, but when he realized that that's all that she was offering, he would undoubtedly turn to someone who could give him more. Sex could only go so far.

She would have to do it the hard way, the old fashioned way. The true way.

She smiled a thin smile. "Who knows? I might actually find that I love him."

That soft whisper broke the strange trance she had been in all night long.

For the first time in months, Yamanaka Ino awoke to a clear head and stern purpose. No more would she cower and whimper like a defenseless little girl. She was a kunoichi, and kunoichi were _not weak_. Today, she would stop wallowing in self-pity and despair. She would depend on no one and nothing. Especially not a crutch that ruined every thing that it touched.

She stood from her seat, muscled creaking slightly in protest, and swiftly gathered up the cup and bottle. With out a moment's hesitation, she strode over to the sink and poured every last drop of sake down the drain.

Her thin smile turned to one of amusement. It was strangely symbolic. For the second time, she was flushing every last drop of alcohol in her house down the drain, all for the sake of some silly boy.

But she had a feeling that this particular gesture would not be so hollow this time.

The first thing on her list would be to go to Sakura and apologize to her, and hope that she could salvage whatever tattered remnants of their friendship remained.

A beat.

Her face paled as she remembered just how furious the Slug Sannin's apprentice had been during their confrontation. The thought of confronting the girl so soon afterwards was enough to make her quake in her sandals. If Sakura could put Naruto through several walls at once, what was to say that she wouldn't do the very same thing to Ino the moment she laid eyes on her?

Or perhaps even worse.

She actually did shake a little at that afterthought

She looked down morosely at the now empty sake bottle and the alcohol slowly trickling down the drain.

"Oh God, I need a drink."

She resisted the urge to take a monkey wrench to her sink's drainage system.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_**Preview of Evasive Action—Sakura**_

"_**You're early, Ino-cha—"A puzzled silence as he saw not the blonde flowergirl that he expected, but a pink haired angel.**_

"_**Hello, Naruto."**_

"_**S-sakura-chan?"**_

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Holy Emo, Batman! That was one depressing monologue! But let's be honest, I know that a lot of you were thinking these very same things when reading earlier chapters.**

**All right, True Believers, I tried to address several issues that a lot of readers have expressed in their reviews. I hope this comes off as a rather coherent explanation of Ino's actions. Next will be Sakura, as the little teaser at the end shows you.**

**Lend me your thoughts and Opinions.**


	5. Chapter 5: Evasive Action: Sakura

_**Initial Offensive  
**_**A Xenocide Production**

**AN: (Groans pitifully) I don't suppose you guys would believe the fact that I've been sick with food poisoning for…..(looks at calendar)….err…over a month? No? I didn't think so. Enjoy the latest chapter. And review……please?**

**Summary: **Ino had already made the first move. She had the advantage.

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. I do, however, have plans to kidnap Kishimoto-sensei, drug him with Dr. Pepper, and force him to do an ecchi laden Naruto harem manga. I know that deep, deep, deep down, he wants to do it. Despite that little thing he calls a conscience. **

**Also, direct your thanks to the illustrious JohnnyG, creator of the beloved "Ice Princess of Konoha" and the author kind enough to beta this fic, and all other things concerning Naruto. Go Read His Stuff Now! I Compel Thee!**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 5: Evasive Action—Sakura**

"RAAGGHH!"

_**B-BOOM!**_

Sakura was pissed.

"HAHH!"

_**BOOM! B-BOOM!**_

She bent over slightly, gloved hands resting on her knees. Panting harshly, she glared with fierce satisfaction at the devastated remains of Training Ground Four's dummy logs.

Well, what was left of Training Ground Four, anyway. The repair crews were going to be frothing at the mouth when they saw the extent of the damage.

Her master had taught her the joys of stress relief, by way of a fist, a channeled burst of chakra, and a great deal of screaming amidst controlled chaos. She had always had a slightly less than healthy satisfaction when it came to crushing things, as her master was all too fond of doing.

Between master and apprentice, the Hokage's Tower went through no less than three desks and several other various items of interest a week. Shizune had finally had to resort to commissioning the local carpenters to preparing a steady supply of pre-made furniture.

Needless to say, the carpenters had already built quite a hefty nest egg as a result of the Godaime's and her apprentice's volatile tempers.

Still huffing slightly, she stalked over to the nearest tree and plopped herself down underneath it. Sighing heavily, she leaned back against the trunk and glared at the night sky.

After her meltdown with Ino, she had stumbled through the rest of her shift as if in a daze. She was there, and yet, she wasn't. She could see herself wrapping bandages, checking charts, and filling out prescriptions. But it seemed as though someone else was moving her hands, opening her mouth, and checking her patients. She was a silent passenger in her own body, and it was only through the grace of her long established routine that she made it through the day with a semblance of dignity.

She shuddered to think what would have happened had an emergency surgery required her skills. The poor victim would have probably ended up in worse shape than before, had Sakura gotten her hands on them.

She had intended to trek to her apartment, take a shower, and fall into the sweet oblivion that sleep offered. Unfortunately, rest had been all but impossible for the pink haired kunoichi. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw a flash of blonde hair and blue eyes.

Somehow, she wasn't quite sure whose eyes and blonde locks she saw in her mind's eye.

Was it the boy who she suspected she was coming to love? Or was it the girl that she had respected since childhood? Confused and in serious turmoil, she set out for the nearest training ground to alleviate her frustrations, and never mind the fact that it was well past the wee hours of the morning.

The moon was long gone, having bowed out quietly from the dance a few hours before. The sun was due for its opening act soon, but the stars were still having a grand old time all by themselves.

But Sakura could find no solace in the mischievous twinkling of the stars. Her heart weighed on far heavier matters than the games of celestial beings.

There she sat under the old oak tree, eyes seeing, but not registering, the blanket of stars in the night sky. Seething rage had been spent through the generous dispensation of her fists, and all that was left was a hollow satisfaction at the sheer destruction she had wrought.

All that remained was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, the feeling that accompanied the realization that she couldn't _not_ think forever. Not only was it impossible, it also just wasn't in her nature to run away and curl up into a little ball, much like her younger and spineless counterpart would have done.

Sakura had grown stronger these last few years, not only in strength but in spirit as well. Tsunade had taught her that physical strength was damn near useless unless you had the courage and inner fortitude to back it up.

As much as she loathed the thought, Sakura realized, in that moment when the air was still and the stars still cavorted merrily, that she was the Hokage's apprentice by Kami-sama, and she was no longer the pathetic tagalong of Team Seven.

She had grown up and grown stronger. No matter what problem or obstacle she faced, Sakura needed to stand up and meet it head on. This wasn't one of Shizune's torrid little soap operas, after all. This was the real thing, and no amount of bitching or whining was going to get anything done.

And that required her to think

Tentatively, she opened the floodgates of her thoughts, and she was greeted by a familiar voice that to this very day, she had yet to consciously recognize as her other, _other_ self.

_**It's about time you showed up, you idiot!**_

Inner Sakura was not a happy camper.

_**Kami, you're pathetic! "Waah! My life is over! No one likes me! My best friend stole my man!" Boo-fucking-hoo! Grow up!**_

Sakura winced internally. As much as she knew she deserved the caustic words, it was still rather disconcerting to be dressed down like a small child by your own psyche.

_Hey! That's not really fair, you know._Sakura was fishing for excuses, and she knew it.

_**Haven't you heard? Life isn't fair, girl. I thought you'd be used to it by now.**_

The medic heaved a deep sigh. _I know. I just…_

_**Just what? Wish this had never happened? Wish you had the guts to do what the blonde pig did?**_

Ouch. That hurt.

If nothing else, Inner Sakura was always straight to the point, never mind the social niceties or those little things called feelings. But still, as much as she hated to admit it, she secretly wished that she had had the courage to do what Ino had done, the whole stabbing her best friend in the back thing notwithstanding.

Her heart throbbed darkly in her chest when she thought of the girl. Why had Ino done such an underhanded thing?

It had always been an unspoken rule between girls that you never, _ever_ go after a guy that your friend has had her eye on.

_**Oh? If that was true, then what the hell was the whole fuss over Sasuke about?**_

Sakura was a bit taken aback at that. It was true. If Ino and herself had truly been best friends, why had they competed so bitterly for the Uchiha's attention? It had never come to blows, as some other competitors had done, much to Sasuke's, and secretly Sakura's, disgust. But still, it was there.

She suddenly recalled the day so very long ago when she had defiantly given Ino the ribbon back, declaring them rivals instead of friends. Being young, she hadn't quite understood the seriousness of her words. She only understood the need, the near obsession to be seen as something other than 'that girl that Ino took under her wing'. Was it merely heated words spoken in a misguided attempt to bolster her own self-esteem? Perhaps.

But she hadn't counted on the deep-seated desire to remain companions with the fiery blonde girl that had stood up for her a number of years ago.

And perhaps, Ino too realized that Sakura needed to grow, in more ways than one, and quietly acceded to Sakura's challenge.

So the two remained, not quite friends, bitter rivals perhaps, but not quite enemies, either.

Looking back, Sakura realized that they had only truly begun to resume their friendship when Sasuke defected to Sound. It had been wonderful, to be able to talk to her old friend without the biting comments and the acidic barbs in every other sentence. It was just like old times, and to her, that was worth almost as much as Sasuke's retrieval.

She chewed on her lip lightly.

So why? Why had Ino decided latch on to the one guy that Sakura was developing feelings for? Hell, she had been betting that Ino would go for Shikamaru or Chouji! The thing with Naruto had totally blindsided her, and hurt even more considering the fact that Ino knew damn well Sakura was making a bid on the spiky-haired shinobi's heart.

_**Does it really matter why? What you need to be doing is getting up off your ass and **_**doing**_** something, not wondering why your ex-best friend decided to do the horizontal mambo with your teammate!**_

A rush of anger infused her veins as Inner Sakura stoked her emotions to the boiling point.

That's right! Who cares what the backstabbing bitch was thinking when she was trying so desperately to fuck Naruto in the hospital, for Kami's sake!?

Sakura should have beat the ever-living tar out of the girl, not merely given her a tongue lashing in a supply closet.

Unbidden, the tear-streaked visage of Ino floated across her vision, and her rage abated, evaporating at the sight of the girl's tears. She recalled the words that she struck Ino with in her anger, desperate to hurt Ino as she had hurt Sakura.

A pang of remorse welled in her chest.

Ino had certainly not deserved all of what Sakura had said to her.

It had torn her heart to see Ino in such pain after the death of Team Ten's sensei, and she had tried to talk Ino out of her spiral of self-destruction and alcohol. She had had no luck, much like Ino's own teammates and father had before her. It was with joy that she saw Ino suddenly return to her former self a few weeks back, and she never thought to question Ino's abrupt change in attitude. Sakura was merely glad she had her best friend back, and happily continued gossiping, confiding, and generally enjoying Ino's presence.

To use Asuma-sensei like that, coupled with the fact that she had used the rumors of Ino's supposed reputation amongst men, was utterly disgraceful and uncalled for.

_**That might be true, but you gotta admit, she did deserve it.**_

Sakura was slightly ashamed to admit it, but she agreed with Inner Sakura more than she would have liked. Grief was all good and well, and she could sympathize with Ino for all the loss she had suffered, but Ino had crossed the line.

That's all there was to it. You just didn't do somebody that way, no matter what your circumstances were.

_**All right. So now we've got the angsty shit out of the way. How about you take all that "Stand on your own two feet" advice that the Old Hag gave you and put it to use?**_

She set her lips into a grim line and clenched her fists, noting the somehow satisfying sound of leather squeaking loudly as it ground into her palms and tips of her fingers.

Right. The time for thinking was over. Action was needed if she had any chance of salvaging what little chance she had to be with Naruto. All thoughts of her friend, if Sakura could still call Ino her friend, were brushed out of her mind. If any of their ties were to be repaired, it would be after Naruto was bound to her, and not before.

She truly did not want to listen to the small part of herself that whispered that after what Ino had done, there would doubtfully be any ties left to repair.

As of that moment, Ino was neither a friend, nor an ex-friend. This was War, and she was an opponent. Things like friendship and apologies could come afterwards, if there was an afterwards.

_**Hell Yeah! That's more like it! **_Inner Sakura was pleased. For once, she and her other self were of one accord.

Sakura stood up and brushed the dust off of her uniform. It was time to head to her apartment and regroup.

The sky was beginning to brighten ever so slowly, and the stars wearily bid each other good day before handing the stage over to the sun. Dawn was breaking and a new day had begun.

She started off down the path towards the bridge and the outskirts of the village with her head held high and just a little bit of hope in her heart.

Ino may have had the advantage of the opening move, but now it was her turn. She would launch a counter-attack that would win this war in a quick, decisive stroke.

Ino's initial offensive would do her no good at all.

----------------

Naruto's eyes were closed in ecstatic bliss as he hissed delightedly through his teeth as his mouth was ravaged rather thoroughly by the girl of his dreams.

He groaned deep in the back of his throat as the girl on top of him rather forcefully sucked his tongue into her mouth. Eyes still closed, he reached around her and grabbed her hips, taking time to marvel at the feel of her warm flesh in his hands, and slowly, almost painfully ground his pelvis into hers as he thrust her down on top of him.

He forced himself out of her mouth and impatiently nudged her chin out of his way so he could dart in for a taste of her neck and shoulders. She complied happily, and he dove into her with a fierce vengeance, almost desperate to taste every last inch of her.

She gasped as his tongue grazed over a particularly sensitive piece of her flesh, and managed to grind out in between pants, "Oh kami, Naruto! Don't stop!"

Her finger made fiery trails of passion as they wandered over his broad shoulders and wiry muscles. He growled into the crook of her neck as her nails scraped slightly across his sides and hip bones, snagging on the hem of his boxers and causing his muscles to twitch involuntarily. Still, his eyes stayed closed.

It was part of the game they were playing, after all.

She brought her hand back up to his chest and backed herself slowly off of him a ways, and he nearly cried aloud at the heady feel of her breasts scraping torturously across his skin.

She darted into snare his lips once again, nipping naughtily at his lower lip and then slowly licking it in appeasement. She squealed as he gripped her bottom firmly in both hands, gathering as much flesh in his palms as he could.

In retaliation, she brought her hands down to his boxers once again, but this time, she reached down and caressed him through the thin cloth, causing his hips to buck and a strangled moan to escape his mouth.

She leaned down, her hair tickling the side of his cheek, and whispered throatily into his ear, "Looks like I win this round, Na-ru-to-kun."

Each exaggeration of the syllables in his name sent a wave of pleasure through his body as her moist breath trickled down the back of his neck, and it was all he could do not to just take her at that very moment, games be damned.

He smiled. He could let the insult pass. He would lose every day for the rest of his life if the loser was treated in such a grand manner.

"I guess I've lost. Now what's the consolation prize?" He opened his eyes. "Eh, Ino-ch—"

He lay there, completely gobsmacked, as Sakura tilted her head in a devastating manner, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Her nails dug into his stomach, not quite painful, but certainly uncomfortable.

"Why did you call me Ino?"

He opened his mouth, but all that came out was a pulsating, piercing screech.

_**SCREE! SCREE!**_

Sakura's mouth wrenched open, most likely to heap obscenities upon his head, and her fist reared back to deliver her divine punishment.

He raised his arms over his head, and tried to plead with the pink-haired girl, but all that came from his mouth were those damnable screeches. Sakura's fist seemed to grow to titanic proportions, and it filled every corner of his vision as it came screaming down upon him.

He closed his eyes and mewled like a little girl, accepting the inevitable.

_**Whumph!**_

He opened his eyes, and he was nose first in the short carpet of his bedroom.

He blinked.

He sat up, rubbing his tender nose, and glanced at the alarm clock that had undoubtedly saved his life. He wouldn't put it past Sakura to be able to give him the beating of his life even in his dreams.

He noted with relief that it was half past three.

Good. So he hadn't managed to sleep all day.

After chasing his perverted captain through the woods for a bit, he finally gave up the ghost and rushed home in order to get things ready for that evening's date. Surprisingly, the blonde was not a slob, as most people would think a male bachelor with no parental upbringing would be. Oh sure, he was a little messy, but for the most part, his home was in neat order, unlike many teenagers he was positive he could name.

All it took was a little soap, a few rags, and a handful of his kage bunshin, and he was good to go. Of course, he did hide the empty ramen cups in his closet until it was full to bursting. Hey, was it his fault that the cups were the Super Limited Edition line? He was sure that his collection would be worth something. Eventually. Hopefully.

After a quick, but furious cleaning, Naruto had decided that a nap was the best thing to help him pass the time. If he stared at the clock for the rest of the day, it would drive him insane! Ino hadn't really set a time, but it was universally assumed that dinner was round five or so. He made sure to set his alarm to wake him up in plenty of time to get situated before Ino's arrival.

He stood up and turned off his faithful alarm, still tenderly rubbing his affronted nose. He hastily rearranged his bed sheets into to some semblance of order, and then set off for the bathroom to clean up.

He closely examined his nose and decided that it was in no immediate danger.

Turning around, he swiftly beat the pipe above the faucet three times, and then hastily turned the cold tap on. He had learned the hard way a long, long time ago that turning the hot water tap on was bound to do nothing but scald the skin right off of your bones. At least with the cold tap, you could take a shower that was only slightly too warm for comfort. He suspected that the building's landlord had quite a grudge against him, and was meting out justice by way of his water boiler, but he could never prove it. No amount of begging his ANBU guards back in the day could convince them to confront a civilian over so trivial a matter.

He slipped out of his boxers, and noted with relief that he hadn't…made a mess…during his rather steamy dream involving a pink-haired kunoichi. That would have been far from embarrassing and more into the realm of downright humiliating.

He frowned as he stepped into the hot water's stream, wincing only slightly at the harsh temperature.

What kind of guy was he, anyway? He had promised himself that very day to follow Kakashi's advice and focus on Ino, and here he was having a near-wet dream about his longtime crush!

He scowled and angrily poured a dollop of cheap shampoo onto his hair. After furiously scrubbing his head for several minutes, he managed to calm down a bit. Although thinking logically had never been a strong point for the boy, he had always had some crude reasoning skills that would get him through every day life.

_Let's be fair here. So what if I dreamt of Sakura-chan? It was only one time!_

He nodded in agreement with himself, absentmindedly rinsing off the shampoo as he did so.

_And besides, I dreamt of Sakura-chan for a long time before I knew Ino-chan! It's not like I have any control over what I dream._

He smiled foxily, having easily solved his dilemma with a few self-placating remarks.

He rubbed the washcloth across his arms thoughtfully.

He endeavored to put all thoughts of his teammate out his mind.

Ino wanted him, and despite all the loyalty he held for Sakura and the apparent maturing she had done in the last couple of years, he was, quite frankly, getting tired of waiting. It was obvious now that Sakura could never harbor a place in her heart for him like she had for Sasuke, and as much as it hurt to acknowledge it, that was the way things would always be.

Ino, on the other hand, was there and willing. And she seemed to return the feelings that he had wanted to see in the pink-haired girl so badly. But that was that. There was no sense on dwelling on what he couldn't have. He deserved a little happiness, didn't he? The lithe blonde that so haunted his thoughts these days would be more than enough to sate his thirst for affection.

_But still_, he thought wistfully on his dream, _she was so…warm._

He felt a stirring below his waist that voiced its agreement most vigorously.

He looked down.

"Dammit! What I wouldn't give for some cold water for once!"

----------------

A visibly nervous Naruto sat on the small couch that adorned his small living room. The television was on, documenting some poor bastard's dive into a small pond of stagnant water, but he paid it no mind.

His eyes were glued to the clock, and each soft _tick_ it emitted seemed to weigh heavily on his soul.

It was only half past four, and he probably still had a good hour or so of waiting before Ino showed up. She had a predisposition for showing up fashionably late, after all.

A demure knock came at his door, and his heart leapt into his throat, taking permanent residence there. He leapt up and dashed for the door, only to trip over the leg of the couch. He fell with a crash and a scathing curse. He got to his feet and limped to the door, glaring at the offending piece of furniture and silently vowing it the first place on the curb the following morning.

The couch, that smug, leather-dressed bastard, totally ignored his glare of doom.

Smoothing his helplessly messy hair and plastering a foxy grin on his face, Naruto threw open the door and leaned up against the doorframe in what he hoped was a suitably sexy and nonchalant manner.

"You're early, Ino-cha—"A puzzled silence as he saw not the blonde flower girl that he expected, but a pink-haired angel instead.

"Hello, Naruto."

"S-sakura-chan?"

Shit. He was in sooooo much trouble.

----------------------------------------------------------

**Heh, I'm evil, aren't I? Next chapter will detail the 'dinner date', but with who, precisely? I seriously considered expanding, but I like to keep my readers in suspense. And also, you'll have to forgive me, True Believers. To be perfectly honest with you, this chapter felt rather forced. I tried to be as true to my interpretation of Sakura's character that I could, and I hope nobody hates this chapter with a passion. Hopefully, my dear friends, you won't want to maim me too horribly.**

"**Stand on your own two feet." As much as I hate Ikari Gendou for the utter bastard that he is, I have to admit that he is a strong man. I paraphrased a saying from him. And if you have no idea who I'm talking about, go watch a little show called "Neon Genesis Evangelion". It's one of the Holy Trinity of anime****, and if you haven't heard of it by now, you have no right to call yourself an otaku.**

"**The television was on, documenting some poor bastard's dive into a small pond of stagnant water, but he paid it no mind." A vague reference to the show Ninja Warrior, as seen on G4. Kickass show, by the way.**


	6. Chapter 6: Sneak Attack

_**Initial Offensive  
**_**A Xenocide Production**

**AN: Cry Havoc and let loose the Hounds of War. The War Machine creaks and groans in ecstasy. The Initial Offensive shall continue. **

**Summary: **Ino had already made the first move. She had the advantage.

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. I do, however, have plans to kidnap Kishimoto-sensei, drug him with Dr. Pepper, and force him to do an ecchi laden Naruto harem manga. I know that deep, deep, deep down, he wants to do it. Despite that little thing he calls a conscience. **

**It is to my deep dismay that I report, to those of you who haven't heard already, that the illustrious **_**JohnnyG**_** has retired from fanfiction. This means he is no longer operating in beta capacity. However, for those of you who wish to apply as my beta, please apply via email or mention it in a postscript in your review. **

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter 6: Sneak Attack**

Ino took a deep breath and lifted her hand to knock on the Haruno's door. Her hand was shaking slightly, hard as she tried to suppress it. She was scared out her mind and certainly not eager to face the pink haired kunoichi so soon. At the last moment, she hesitated and lowered her hand back to her side.

Though she had intended to be here bright and early, her nerves, in combination with her imagination, conspired to convince her that it would _not_ be a good idea to face Sakura so soon after their altercation. So, she had ended up walking _very_ slowly to the more suburban part of Konoha, almost to the point of dragging her feet.

She took a deep breath.

_Steady, Ino. You're doing the right thing. Just calm down and get it over with._

She adjusted her indigo sundress nervously, trying to find any excuse to keep from knocking on the wooden door.

The sundress had been an impulsive decision. On any other day she would have scoffed at finding the thing in her closet and tossed it in the trash bin for being too conservative. Ino preferred clothes that enhanced her feminine beauty. A dress, in her own opinion, did nothing to accentuate her features. As she had held the dress in her hands, she recognized it as the dress her father had bought for her on her birthday last year, and she hadn't had the heart throw it away or sell it to a second-hand store. Instead, she had stowed it haphazardly into her closet and left it there, forgotten and forlorn.

But when she held it in her grasp, she suddenly felt on impulse that wearing this dress was absolutely imperative. Maybe if she wore something less…revealing than her usual attire, it would help convince Sakura that she was being sincere and not superficial. Making an effort to repair the extensive damage that they had both wrought on each other would most certainly not be an easy task, but nothing was impossible.

So, leaving aside her usual purple outfit, she slipped into the dress and was surprised to find that, while indeed not as flashy as her shinobi attire, the dress was beautiful and elegant. While it did not show a great deal of skin, except for baring her shoulders, the dress made it very obvious that she was a woman, defining her curves wonderfully and gliding over her body like a second skin.

Conservative yet sexy.

Ever an oxymoron if she had heard one.

Besides, she had to look good for this evening's dinner date with Naruto. No matter what the outcome of her talk with Sakura.

If she hadiven in to her fear and uncertainty, she would already be at Naruto's abode, having passed Sakura by completely. There was even still a part of her that suggested that Sakura did not deserve an apology or her friendship. There were some unforgivable acts committed by both parties, but the only way things were going to get better is if one of them had the strength to swallow her pride and apologize. Of course, thinking of a noble ideal and actually executing it were two very different things.

She truly did not want to be here. And at the same time, she did.

She wanted to sit down and talk with her best friend, air out every last hateful feeling Sakura and herself had for each other, and try to salvage some sliver of a bond that had been there since early childhood.

And yes, she would admit it. Most of this whole fiasco was her own fault. She had been so desperate to win Naruto that she was blind to the consequences of her actions. If she had continued on with her plans, she would have destroyed not one, but two bonds between the three of them. She doubted that Sakura would ever forgive Naruto if indeed he did choose Ino over Sakura. For all of her power and apparent inner fortitude, Sakura was as fragile as her namesake, and it would not take much to wither the bloom upon the tree.

She wanted Naruto almost more than anything else in the world, but she also wanted Sakura to be her friend.

And damn if she wasn't going to find away to have them both.

Apologizing would be hard, but it would also be the right thing to do. Yes, Sakura had hurt her deeply with her words, but Ino had invited them with her actions. The only thing that she would demand an apology for was the slight against Asuma-sensei.

Kami, but this was a tangled mess.

Both girls were in the wrong, but their pride would make it hard for them to admit it to each other. Sakura probably hated her guts with a cold, undying fury that made the traitor's hatred for his brother look like a schoolyard squabble. Ino had let herself be blinded by her self-pity, her despair, and her desperation to the people around her. To make matters even worse, she had tried to find an escape in Naruto, recognizing that the boy would be an easy escape from reality, much like the alcohol had been.

And poor Naruto probably had no idea what the hell was going on.

But the time for worrying about the past was over.

She was here to make amends, and that's all that really mattered.

In a perfect world, Sakura would open the door, remorseful and teary-eyed, and both girls would fling their arms around each other and gasp out apologies in between joyful sobs. Then they would discuss Naruto. In great, embarrassing, and extremely wicked detail. Sakura would reluctantly give in and allow Ino to pursue him, and even offer bits of advice on how to woo him.

If this were a perfect world, that is.

"I'll be lucky if I get through this with my arms and legs still attached to my body." Ino murmured wryly.

One last deep breath, and then before she could regret it, flung out her arm and knocked a rapid staccato beat against the wood door.

She immediately put both hands behind her back, lowered her head a bit, and tensed ever so slightly, trying to look as meek as possible but still ready for fight or flight.

A few moments pause and then the door creaked open slightly. A jade eye peered between the cracks and narrowed slightly. It seemed to widen when it took in Ino.

The door opened fully, and Haruno Sayaka, the matriarch of the small Haruno household, stepped out onto the threshold with a gentle smile, her shoulder length pink hair and white summer yukata fluttering gently with her passage.

"Ah, Ino-chan! It's been so long since you've stopped by to visit us." She stepped aside and gestured to the entrance. "Please, won't you come in? I've been dying to practice my forms in chado. This batch of green tea is truly excellent."

Ino relaxed and brought her hands out from behind her and to her side, smiling slightly. She and Sakura's mother had always been great friends and the same held true for Sakura and her own mother. When Sayaka and Sayuri were together, the two of them would joke that they just had to be long lost twins, because couldn't you tell? They were identical, of course. Things like hair color weren't important in the least.

"Thank you, but no, Haruno-san. I'm in a bit of a hurry today."

The older woman put her hands on her hips and pouted mockingly. "Now, now, Ino-chan. How many times have I told you to call me Auntie Sayaka? We've known each other too long for that."

Ino rolled her eyes. "I know, Auntie. But you know that Mother doesn't like it when I'm so informal with others, especially my elders." She grimaced.

"Well, your mother is far too traditionalist. Always stuck in the past, she is. If she had her way, people would bow to each other as they passed on the street, every stall vendor would have a smile on their face, and enemy shinobi would politely announce their intentions of attacking before they actually did so." Sayaka shook her head. "I love that woman dearly, but quite frankly, she's an idiot at times."

Ino nodded in agreement, smiling broadly.

Sayaka then leveled a steady look at Ino. "And I'm quite sure that you just didn't refer to me as elderly did you? Not even my own daughter can get away with that."

Ino felt the blood drain from her face.

Harunos were quite touchy about their age, especially the females. Sayaka's husband had made the offhand joke that after all of their many years together, the stress had only given his wife one gray hair while he had a head full.

To this very day, he still walks with a limp. And he flinches instinctively whenever he sees his wife in high heels.

"Ah, n-no Auntie. I just misspoke." She smiled nervously. "I still mistake you as Sakura from time to time!"

_There's no way she's going to buy that lame excuse. Man, I'm an idiot!_

Sayaka beamed brighter than the sun, barely outstripping Maito Gai for the title of 'Most Cringe Worthy Smile'. "Why thank you, Ino-chan! I hardly ever recognize myself in mirror as well."

Ino could only stare in disbelief, mouth gaping open slightly.

As often as Ino had seen her aunt act oblivious to the facts of life, she'd never seen her so blatantly ignore them. Well, whatever kept Ino's ass out of range of Sayaka's high heels was fine with her.

"Now then," the elder Haruno chirped happily, "I assume that you're looking for Sakura?"

Ino nodded, still not trusting her voice.

"She must have worked a terribly long shift last night. She was out all of last night and didn't come home till early this morning. She took a shower, changed clothes, and then she headed right back out." Sayaka frowned slightly, a crease forming on her forehead. "I thought that maybe she was pulling a double shift, but she didn't leave in her spare medic outfit."

"And she didn't say where she was going?" Ino queried.

Sayaka shook her head. "Sorry, Ino-chan. She didn't really seem to be all there this morning. She kept muttering to herself and staring into space." She sighed with annoyance. "She didn't even sit down to have breakfast with us, her beloved parents!"

A solid chunk of freezing ice lodged itself in Ino's stomach over the course of her aunt's explanation.

Sayaka shrugged her shoulders in a 'what can you do?' manner, shaking her head yet again. "I'm beginning to worry about that girl. She stretches herself too thin these days."

Ino nodded woodenly in agreement, mind racing down avenues she really didn't want to consider. Surely Sakura wouldn't……

_Of course she would. Sakura wouldn't lay down and cry, like I would._

Sayaka was chattering on cheerily, but Ino couldn't seem to focus on her adoptive aunt at all. All she could do was nod in the appropriate places and offer the occasional murmur of agreement.

"—no? Are you all right, dear?"

The blonde snapped out of her daze, her eyes coming to focus on Sayaka, who was wearing a concerned look on her face. Instantly, she smiled brightly and waved her hand airily, saying,

"Sorry, Auntie! I was lost in my own little world, there. I'm fine!"

The older woman folded her arms across her chest and eyed Ino skeptically.

She had been very careful not to bring up Ino's circumstances these last few months whenever the girl came over to visit, but she couldn't help but worry whenever she saw Ino's pale face and dull eyes. Sayaka had been ecstatic when Sakura joyfully informed her mother that Ino had finally come out of her depression, and all because of a boy it seemed. It was quite fortunate for Ino that she had recovered on her lonesome. Another month or so, and Sayaka would have bound and gagged her, and carted her off to the nearest rehabilitation center. Ino's own mother was so worried that she had agreed instantly to the plan, something that Sayaka thought would have been near to impossible.

These last few weeks had seen a great change in her daughter's best friend, and she was overjoyed to see it. But still, even though Ino seemed to be on the mend, Sayaka was not about to relax any time soon. Having a psychologist and master of mind manipulation for a best friend came in handy from time to time. Sayaka knew enough to know that Ino was not out of the woods yet. Getting over a trauma as damaging as seeing someone you love die in front of you would not be done in months, or even years. Ino was a strong girl, but she was also more fragile than she realized. The blonde's descent into alcohol and despair was testament to that.

There was no doubt that Ino was healing, but there were still some times that Sayaka worried for her. For instance, these instances of "blank outs", where Ino would essentially become numb to the world for short periods of time, was most troubling. Her psyche was still struggling to heal the immense blow it was wrought, and it seemed that the occasional bout of apathy was the best it could come up with on such short notice for situations that were particularly distressing for Ino. To make matters worse, Ino was skilled in masking her distress behind a façade, as all competent shinobi should be. While Sayaka was not a shinobi, she was a mother.

She had a sixth sense about these sorts of things.

Even so, it took all of her skill to recognize when Ino was faking it, so to speak. She had plenty of practice with her own daughter.

Though she was quite worried for Ino, who she considered another daughter, she knew that no good would come of her trying to force Ino to talk to her or Sayuri. It might very well make things worse. The best she could do was offer her encouragement and be there for Ino whenever she needed help.

And pray that her daughter would be there for her as well.

Sayaka forced a smile onto her face, one that was as painfully fake as Ino's, but not quite so obvious. She had merely had the opportunity to practice hers more often.

"If you're sure, dear." She stood aside and gestured once more to the interior of the house. "Are you sure I can't convince you to come in? I'm sure that Ichinose would be pleased to see you."

Ino shook her head in the negative. "No thanks, auntie. I've got things to do today." Ino smirked slightly, a little bit of her old, confident self resurfacing. "I've got to go shopping for my date as well."

Ino posed proudly with one hand behind her head and the other splayed across her hip, while Sayaka laughed lightly at Ino's antics.

"Does that boy of yours know what he's getting into?"

Ino ran a hand through her ponytail, flipping it arrogantly over her shoulder. "Of course he doesn't, auntie. That's what makes it so fun."

Sayaka smiled, genuinely this time. "Well, I wouldn't want you to be late, then. Run along." She made a shooing motion. "I'll keep an eye out for Sakura and let her know you were looking for her." Ino thanked her, but she waved it off. "You just bring that boy around one of these days. I need to know if he's worthy of you, after all."

Ino bowed slightly in thanks, smiled, and then turned to leave, making her way down the short path from the front door to the waist high gate in front of the Haruno's home. She shut the gate behind her, and was nearly a dozen feet down the cobbled street when the Haruno matriarch's voice called loudly,

"BE SURE AND USE PROTECTION! I DON'T WANT TO BE A GREAT AUNT ANYTIME SOON!"

Ino stumbled in place, nearly catching her sandals in the raised stone and falling flat on her face. Face and ears burning, she looked around to see an old couple on their veranda glaring at her disapprovingly, a group of academy youngsters snickering loudly as they passed her by, and a middle aged man looked up from trimming his rosebushes and snorted with the effort of holding his laughter in.

Ino thought it merely made him look constipated.

Ino whirled around, intending to verbally cut the older woman into a pile of quivering, bleeding, and wailing flesh, but found that the blasted woman was already inside.

Still flushed crimson, all Ino could do was curse loudly, glare at the gardener and the old couple, and stomp down the rest of the street in a huff.

Some merchants were really going to wish they had staid in bed that day.

--------------------

"Hello, Naruto."

"S-sakura-chan?"

Naruto was dumbfounded.

Sakura had _never_ come to his place before, much less shown interest at all. Yet here she was on his doorstep, hands clasped demurely behind her back, and looking for all the world as if her arrival was an everyday occurrence.

He blinked.

While Sakura's demeanor may have been casual, her attire certainly was not. His eyes took in the form fitting blouse that showed a hint of cleavage and the extremely short skirt that more than accentuated her slim, tan legs. He swallowed noisily, his throat somehow having become dry in an instant.

Sakura, having noticed Naruto's blatant appreciation, smirked slightly to herself.

_**Hell yeah! Now didn't I tell you this was a good idea? **_Inner Sakura crowed in victory. _**No man can resist the lure of the miniskirt!**_

Sakura's smirk only widened to a grin as she noted the lingering gaze on her hips. She brought her hands to her hips, swaying them to the side and raising her eyebrow in a questioning manner. Naruto could only stare dumbly. His thought processes had come to a shuddering, twitching halt. All deductive reasoning had fled south for the winter, and was having a damn fun time of it. Who knew it was so handy to have two heads to think with?

"Well?" She said, soundly slightly triumphant for some reason.

Naruto shook himself out of his daze. "Ah—well what, Sakura-chan?"

She sighed and Naruto swallowed noisily yet again. "Aren't you going to let me in?"

Now Naruto was in the middle of a moral dilemma. On the one hand, standing before him was the ravishing visage of his sexy, damningly beautiful teammate, and she actually desired to enter his apartment, something that would have sent him into fits of joyous epilepsy not a scant two weeks earlier. On the other, there was Ino, the girl that he was definitely developing feelings for, and was due in not too very long for their dinner date.

Naruto being Naruto, he came to the most logical conclusion that he could.

He stepped back into the apartment, performing an exaggerated bow. "Come on in, Sakura-chan! Ino should be due fairly soon with some food, so we can all eat together!"

He beamed happily, sure that he'd come up with the solution best suited to keep everybody happy and keep him from getting his ass beat. While Naruto understood that a date was important method of relating to your significant other but he could not for the life of him think of a way to turn Sakura away without inviting some serious pain to be heaped upon his person or hurting her feelings. At least this way, he could spend time with two of his favorite girls. Besides, the two of them were friends, right? Ino wouldn't mind just this once.

Sakura bristled at Naruto's unconscious informal use of Ino's name but could only sigh and shake her head slightly as she made her way inside.

_Come on, Sakura. Did you really think that Naruto would make it _that _easy?_

_**No**_, Inner Sakura chimed in sullenly, _**but why does he have to be such a nice guy? Asshole.**_

Naruto swiftly closed the door and then turned to see Sakura sitting down on that Smug Bastard of a leather couch, artfully arranging her clothes and crossing her legs in a way that made him swallow all the harder.

He squared his shoulders and stalked into the room, looking all the world a soldier determined to meet his doom on the frontline.

"So Sakura, what in the world are you doing here?"

* * *

**Long time no see, True Believers. Think of this as my Christmas gift to you. Three-way interaction coming up next chapter………….which hopefully won't take me as long.**

**Lend me your thoughts and opinions.**


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